


The Spirit of War

by LapisLucius42



Series: World War I AU [3]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: 1915, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Sequel to The Spirit of Christmas, World War I
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2018-10-20 16:49:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10666773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapisLucius42/pseuds/LapisLucius42
Summary: World War I changed how soldiers fought and expanded the role of civilians. The Great War brought Judy and Nick together, and it can reunite them. But can they survive its carnage?





	1. Home is Where the Heart is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The sequel to the Spirit of Christmas: The Spirit of War.
> 
> A huge thank you to Cimar Turalis of WildeHopps for agreeing to edit the chapter. I know many of you are eager to find out what happens next so enjoy.
> 
> I will do my best to adhere to the War's accuracy. If not, then creative liberties will be taken. It is an AU after all.

_January 1915,_

The whistle blew and the train slowed until coming to a halt at the station in Bunnyburrow. The doors opened to allow the passengers entering and exiting the cars. At one particular car, three prey soldiers stepped out with one leaving for a moment. The remaining two waited patiently by the car's entrance until a gray rabbit with black-tip ears and amethyst eyes carrying her belongings stepped out. All three quietly made eye contact.

"Are you ready, Miss Hopps?" One of the soldiers finally asked.

Judy nodded. "Yes, let's go."

"This way please."

Judith Hopps followed the soldiers out of the train station. When they reached the road, a car driven by the third soldier appeared, parking in front of them. One soldier opened the door for Judy while another carried her belongings.

"Thank you," Judy said before entering the back seat.

Once all four were in the car, the driver began the drive to Judy's home.

"You will be taken home and left by yourself afterwards," one of the soldiers said.

"I understand."

During the drive, Judy gazed at the fields passing by. A small feeling of happiness swelled inside her as memories of her pre-military days ran through her mind. Yet at the same time, there was also that lingering feeling of emptiness. Her thoughts drifted to the family reunion and their oncoming responses. No matter what, Judy would not appear melancholic to them, not wanting her family to think that her joining the military was a mistake. Occupied with her thoughts, Judy failed to realize when they had arrived at her home.

"Miss Hopps? We're here."

Judy shook from her mind to see her home a short distance away from where they parked. "Oh, thank you."

The soldier sitting next to Judy assisted with moving her belongings out of the car before all three bid the bunny goodbye and drove away. After the car disappeared in the distance, Judy focused on the home ahead. At her request, headquarters did not report the bunny's discharge to her family since she wanted to surprise them. Going through her mental checklist one more time, Judy took a deep breath and put on a smile. Lifting her equipment and personal belongings, she strolled towards her home.

A few older bunnies watched a couple of younger ones playing around the front of the burrow. A boy bunny was chasing his brothers and sisters erratically before focusing on a cream-colored bunny in a blue dress. Despite the clothes, she was currently outrunning and gaining distance on him. The bunny would have escaped her brother had she not suddenly stopped, allowing him to catch up and nearly tackle her to the ground.

"I got you, Cotton!" The boy bunny exclaimed. "Now it's your turn!"

But Cotton remained still and silent, staring ahead of her.

"Did you not hear me, Cotton?" The brother asked, annoyed at her lack of response. "I said it's your turn!"

Cotton finally spoke up. "Judy…"

The boy bunny tilted his head in confusion. "Judy?"

Cotton instantly pointed in the direction. "Judy!"

Her brother and everyone else nearby paused to look in Cotton's direction, only for their eyes to widen and ears perk up at the sight.

Judy stood a couple feet away with a bright smile on her face. "Hi, everyone! I'm home!"

Within seconds, the bunny children shouted her name in delight and stampeded towards her. Judy had just enough time to drop everything and step forward a few feet with open arms before she was tackled to the ground and buried under an avalanche of her siblings and relatives. Judy laughed as the children unleashed their onslaught of questions about her military adventures and cheers of her return. But she was too busy enjoying their embrace to do anything else. The shouts ceased when a familiar voice sounded.

"Children, get off of her this instant!" Bonnie cried.

The bunnies obeyed as Judy remained on the ground. Bonnie walked up to her smiling daughter and reached out with a paw.

Judy grabbed it and was lifted up to her feet by her mother. Before she could speak, Judy felt Bonnie embraced her in a tight hug. The bunny was further surprised when she picked up the sound of sniffling.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," Bonnie said sweetly.

Judy smiled and comforted her mother. "Thank you, Mama."

They finally released from the embrace, albeit reluctantly.

"Where is Papa?" Judy asked.

Bonnie wiped the tears from her eyes. "Your father, Stu, is away at the market right now to sell our crops. No one in the household expected you to come home. What happened?"

"I'll explain after meeting with Papa." Judy promised. "Do you think you can keep this a secret until he returns?"

Bonnie nodded. "Of course! I can even make it a surprise for him!"

Judy was happy knowing that her parents could reign in the large number of siblings and relatives in the house. The matriarch faced the bunnies in the vicinity and spotted two particular bunnies. "Nestor! Felix! Come help your sister!"

"Yes, Mama." The two bucks said.

"Thank you." Judy said.

"You're welcome, dear. After Nestor and Felix take you to your room, they'll take you to your father when he returns. That should give you enough time."

Bonnie left to tend to the other family members as Judy watched Nestor, a black bunny wearing a red plaid shirt and blue overalls and Felix, a white bunny in a green shirt and brown overalls approach her. Both bucks were of the same litter as their sister. Judy had spent a lot of time with them growing up since she did not settle into the female's role in the house and acted more of a tomboy. As a result, the three grew very close.

Like Judy, Nestor and Felix wanted to be more than farmers, Nestor a mathematician and Felix a scientist, and both believed the modern century offered them multiple opportunities. But their family roles limited them and other Hopps members of said opportunities. Still, the two brothers kept their hopes up and took advantage of what was available on the farm and in the libraries.

When the Great War broke out, Stu, the family patriarch refused to allow family members to enlist in the army, not wanting to lose anyone. He even went as far as to prevent Judy from being shipped off despite her completed training and call up. It was only after compromising with Judy and realizing she could get in legal trouble, even facing desertion charges for not going that could possibly end in execution, did he finally relent.

"Good to see you home, Judy," Nestor said. "Did you get some excitement from the war?"

Judy only smiled, neither wanting spoil their expectations nor shock them from the horrors of war. "Yes, but there are days where nothing happens. Goodness knows we need them to recover from the action."

"Looking forward to hearing those stories when you're ready, Judy." Felix said. "Let's get inside."

Nestor carried Judy's equipment while Felix carried her bags and all three entered the family burrow. They reached the stairs leading deeper inside and descended down them.

"I hope your weapons are empty," Nestor said while inspecting them. "Don't want the little ones accidentally firing them."

Judy shook her head. "The ammo is in the bags. I'm surprised the little ones didn't search my belongings."

"They were more happy to see you home than anything else," Felix said. "Those questions will come eventually. I hope you're ready."

Judy giggled. "One thing I learned from this Great War is that preparation can only take you so far before it's every mammal for themselves."

The three bunnies reached the floor where Judy's room was and continued walking. The Hopps children marred them along the way, excited to see their sister home. Nestor and Felix assisted Judy in holding off their questions until their sister had time to settle down.

"Has the farm done well while I've been away?" Judy asked after dismissing another group of kits.

"The fields have been good to us despite the war," Felix said.

"Last year's harvest was one of the biggest we ever had," Nestor said. "We only wish you could have seen the joy on our parents' faces."

"We're currently getting ready for spring. We'll be there to help since it will be difficult for you to adjust." Felix assured.

"Thank you, brothers."

They finally arrived at the door to Judy's room and she opened the door for her brothers. Felix and Nestor entered, setting down her belongings.

"We'll knock when Papa gets home and if you're still in here," Nestor said as they waved her off and closed the door.

The first thing Judy did was lock the door before letting the façade from her arrival dissolve. She took a deep breath and observed the room: a single bed, a wardrobe, drawers, a table, and a window. It had remained the same since she left months ago when war was first declared. Her thoughts drifted to the excitement she felt at that moment. To finally experience the action and fulfill her dream. The irony didn't escape her.

In the household, the kits shared bedrooms until they completed their education where they either moved out or lived in single rooms until they could. But in recent years, the high school movement allowed the newer generations to spend more years in education, thus forcing Judy's parents to change up the rules in terms of bedding. Nonetheless, Judy was happy for the extra opportunities her younger siblings and relatives got to enjoy.

Judy immediately got to work in hiding her weapons and equipment from the more curious family members. She reminded herself to get a chest to lock them away but for now, the bunny hid them underneath her clothes in the drawer. At the wardrobe, Judy replaced her uniform with a long white farmer's dress. The clothing felt foreign to her despite having worn it many times. She stared at the uniform hanging in the wardrobe and the cap placed below it before closing the dresser.

Her gaze fell to the many stuffed animals lying on the bed. They had come out over ten years ago and developed by a bear no less. Judy had enjoyed playing them with her sisters and started buying some for herself. Her eyes drifted to a black bear with cream paddings in the midst of the others. Judy sat down on the bed and picked the stuffed bear up. One noticeable feature of it was the red rims around its black eyes.

She had been fortunate to receive this as a gift from a friend that knew of the bunny's interests. According to her friend, the black bear was produced after the sinking of the Tytanic to mourn the lives lost in the tragedy. Only 600 were made and sold out a month after the sinking. Her friend explained that the eyes' appearance represents the crying that took place in the aftermath. Judy felt terrible for making a selfish comparison, but no truer words could describe how she felt at that moment.

The bunny set the bear down on the bed and reached for her neck. Judy removed the red neckerchief she had been wearing since the train and tied it around the bear's neck. She admired how the red neckerchief matched the red rims. While not ideal, she could keep a physical connection with Nick safe from her family though she would still need to search for a fox version later if any had been produced. With everything in their proper locations, Judy laid on the bed, hugging the bear tightly.

Only hours into the first day home and Judy wanted to cry. The joy from seeing her family slightly alleviated the despair. Judy didn't know how long she could bottle up those feelings before they spilled over. She gave massive credit to Nick for able to do this for so many years. You bunnies. So emotional. A small giggle escaped from her mouth. "Yes, yes I am, Nick," she whispered. A knock on the door finally brought Judy back to her room.

"Judy?" Nestor called. "Papa's here."

"Are you ready to meet him?" Felix asked.

Judy sighed deeply at the upcoming meeting. "Yes, give me a moment."

She kissed the top of the bear's head before placing it back among the other stuffed animals. When Judy opened the door, Nestor and Felix saw the exhausted expression on their sister's face, droopy ears and waning smile. A stark contrast to what they had seen earlier. Whatever words of comfort they wanted to say disappeared in that moment. One thing was certain. Their sister wanted to be alone while settling back into the farm life. The two brothers simply motioned her to remain silent and follow them. Judy complied and let them lead.

No words were spoken between them as Judy followed her brothers. Despite her gloominess, Judy _wanted_ to be happy for her family. They deserved that feeling after months of worrying for her survival. The siblings finally exited the hall and heard their parents talking. In the living room, they saw Bonnie, Stu, and a number of family members waiting for them.

Judy noticed a blindfold on Stu and almost ruined the surprise by giggling. Bonnie saw the three and motioned Judy to stand in front of Stu while remaining silent. The doe obeyed and stood in front of her blindfolded father. Meanwhile, Stu grew more and more impatient with each passing second. His hearing picked up the sound of footsteps approaching him before it became silent again.

"Honey," Stu said, hoping this time she would say the word. "Can I take the blindfold off now?"

Bonnie looked to Judy who nodded in confirmation. "Yes, dear."

Stu took off the blindfold and shook his head to recover his vision. The first thing he saw was a gray bunny in a white dress standing before him. He wondered why Bonnie went to all the trouble to see one of his own children living at home. As his vision became more clear, Stu began to see the more distinct features of the gray rabbit: the black-tip ears and amethyst eyes. As his mind process the image, Stu wanted to believe the bunny standing before him was Judy Hopps. Yet at the same time, he didn't want to get his hopes up.

Once his vision became clear, Stu stood aghast with his eyes widened, jaw lowered, and arms hanging. "J…Judy?"

Judy stood smiling. "Hi, Papa."

The sound of her voice removed all doubt and Stu lost control, beginning to sniffle and breathe heavily. "Oh cripes…here comes the waterworks!"

He fell to his knees and broke down crying from the flood of emotions. As the tears flowed, Stu felt a pair of arms wrap around him and a cheek nuzzling against his. The patriarch opened his eyes to see Judy hugging him. Stu instantly returned the gesture and continued crying as the two remained on their knees. The rest of the family members present smiled and silently watched. In truth, they had all been worried about Judy and felt happy and relieved to see her home. Stu finally regained control of his emotions and together, they stood up and released from the hug.

"What happened?" Stu asked, still wiping his tears. "I thought you were off fighting in the war?"

Judy took a deep breath and produced the discharge certificate. She brought it forward for all in the room to see. Stu took the document and he, along with Bonnie and other members who could see, scanned the words on the paper. They finally looked back at Judy a few seconds later with surprised and confused expressions.

"So, does this mean you're finished with the army?" Bonnie asked, wanting to get confirmation.

Judy inwardly winced at the question. While there was some truth, she wished to not give her parents the satisfaction. But she could not circle around the topic in her current situation. "They can still call me up, but for this war, yes." Judy saw the wide smile form on Stu's face and braced herself for his incoming response.

"Oh, I'm so happy!" Stu exclaimed. "Now we don't have to worry about losing you in the war!"

Judy could only sigh at her father's naivety. "Papa, the war doesn't end because I return home. Look at Deerbrooke County. The trouble caused there led to this. Who's to say that we won't be affected?"

"Right, but we're neutral and the warring countries must respect that, even if they didn't for the Low Regions," Stu replied.

Both Bonnie and Judy looked incredulously at Stu at that statement.

Seeing their reactions, Stu quickly waved his paws and shook his head to save himself. "The point is, Bunnyburrow is not caught between the belligerents like Bullgium was so we need not worry about the war coming to us. Besides, Bunnyburrow serves them no purpose."

"Your father does have a point there," Bonnie admitted. "But Judy is right, Stu. Someone has to be the victor."

"True. True. But let's not concern ourselves with that, and there'll be plenty of time to discuss the war and your adventures, Judy. First, I want to show you what you missed since your departure."

Judy smiled, relieved for the change in discussion. "I can't wait, Papa."

* * *

 

_Outside the Tri-Burrows_

"Hustle up! We need to get these supplies and weapons on the trucks!"

Nicholas Wilde supervised and ordered his troops as they transported the cargo from the train into the awaiting trucks. As part of their discipline, Nick and his unit were responsible for transporting the cargo to the military camp after arriving at the train station and then moving them to their designated location once there. Fortunately, Lionheart was generous enough to provide the trucks as part of the cargo, but they still had to do all the work.

"Everything is loaded and the trucks are ready, Lieutenant," Manchas said with a salute.

Nick nodded. "Good. Manchas, you're with me. Everyone else, get into a truck and follow along. I don't care who drives. Just don't make it an issue." The latter was said in a cold tone.

"Yes, Lieutenant!"

The soldiers went for the nearest truck and the driver was whoever entered the seat first. The only complaints were from those not making it to a truck in time before it filled up, but even then, there were no disputes. The troops knew the fragile state of their commanding officer and wished not to incite his wrath. The time to voice their opinions would come when they reach the camp and settle down.

"Care to drive, Corporal Manchas?" Nick offered.

"Yes, Lieutenant," the jaguar answered.

Nick and Manchas entered the leading truck and the jaguar started the vehicle. From there, they led the way to the camp as the others followed behind.

On the way, Manchas glanced over at Nick to see him facing out the window. He, along with the rest of the unit, understood their actions on Christmas Day were unorthodox and couldn't go unpunished. But being sent to attack bunnies, who were completely neutral towards both warring sides, as retribution felt downright cruel to their Lieutenant. Finally, Manchas decided to take a risk and encourage Nick.

"Permission to speak, sir?"

Nick closed his eyes and sighed. "Granted." He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts but realized some of his troops could relate to these feelings.

Manchas breathed a sigh of relief at the given chance. "Thank you. While I may not be able to sympathize with you, I and many of us in the unit can empathize. We can agree on the cruelty of the General's orders and that you may have something planned. I just want to let you know that you have my support."

Manchas glanced over at Nick again to see a small smile on his superior officer's face. It was enough for him, and the truck remained silent for the rest of the drive.

By dusk, they had finally arrived at the military camp and the lead truck stopped at the security checkpoint. Manchas recited the orders given to them by the General and one of the soldiers went to confirm them.

"You know what to do from here," Nick said as he opened the door. "I'm going to visit the officers in charge. Make yourselves comfortable after unloading everything. Tell the others the same, and I'll get a soldier here to direct you."

"Understood, sir."

Nick exited the truck and walked over to the one of the guards at the entrance, a stout timberwolf. "Can one of you lead the trucks while I go meet with your commanding officers?"

"We'll have to confirm that with them first, Lieutenant."

Just then, the soldier returned. "The orders have been confirmed and the Major and Captain wish to meet with you. They'll have one of us lead the trucks to their destination."

Nick couldn't help but feel grateful that things were slowly improving though he remained cautious. "Thank you. Can you point me to the officers' building?"

The wolf pointed in the direction of the aforementioned building and gave Nick the directions. They offered to escort him but Nick declined. The fox thanked the wolf and went off as the trucks were moved to their respective locations.

While walking, Nick saw the many buildings throughout the facility and took the time to note the important ones such as the kitchen, mess hall and barracks. The fox need not worry about being mistaken for a trespasser with his uniform, but still expected the newer recruits to question his presence and the legitimacy. To his surprise, every soldier he encountered treated him with respect, rather than distrust as his previous assignments had incurred due to his species.

Nick filed the question away later for when meeting the commanding officers as he finally arrived at the officer's building. When he entered, his question was answered at the sight of two mammals: a male golden jackal and a female pine marten. Both around or above his height. The two predators heard the door open and saw Nick standing before them. The fox stood with respect and waited for the jackal and pine marten to respond, knowing who held all authority here.

The jackal finally smiled. "Ah, you must be from the unit sent from General Lionheart."

Nick nodded and saluted. "Correct. First Lieutenant Nicholas Wilde."

"Major Tobias Koller," The jackal pointed to himself and to the pine marten. "And this is Captain Aranka Varga."

"Lionheart sent in a good word about you, but never mentioned your species," Varga said and then smiled. "It's good to see smaller predators leading the troops."

At ease, Nick returned with his own smile. "That does explain why a majority of your troops greeted me with respect."

"Yes," Tobias said. "Many were not fond of a smaller predator leading them into battle but Varga and I proved ourselves trustworthy over time. I assume you have done the same."

"But you must remain cautious in your actions," Aranka said. "Not everyone here can accept that a fox can rise up the ranks."

"As long as my troops remain loyal, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm only following orders. If I can do it with them, then I can do it with yours to an extent."

"Good to hear, Lieutenant," The Captain said. "We're glad to have you and your expertise with us."

"I look forward to working with you," Nick said. "But if you're hoping to implement trenches then be prepared to expend a large supplies and troops maintaining them."

"Noted," Tobias said.

"I do apologize, but what were you two discussing before I interrupted." Nick pointed to the papers on the table.

"Plans for invading Deerbrooke County, but they haven't finalized just yet."

Nick stepped forward to the table and looked at the map of the Tri-burrows. His heart ached at the sight of Bunnyburrow being so close to the targeted area, but kept his mask up. "What's the obstacle?"

Tobias pointed to the country next to Deerbrooke County. "We're trying to get Bullgaria to join our side because of its strategic importance. With the alliance, we can attack Deerbrooke from the north and the east while also connecting Gnurmany and Pawstria-Hungarie to the Ottomammal Empire."

Nick furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why would a region populated mostly of prey want to join our side?"

Aranka shrugged her shoulders. "Beats us. From what we heard, their leaders are unhappy with their relationship with the Allies. Reneged promises from what we've been hearing."

"Huh, interesting." It was still surprising, but Nick remembered that all it took to bring two parties together was common interest and opportunities; that was clearly evident during Christmas. Then again, the army he was currently serving had a prey leading the Empire before a predator took over and they became the majority population.

"As I mentioned before, these current plans depend heavily on Bullgaria's decision," Tobias said. "Both sides are promising land to the region, it's just a matter of which territory Bullgaria wants more." He continued before Nick could speak. "We obviously are working on plans if they ultimately join the Allies."

"Good. I was concerned there for a moment."

"But you can give your input tomorrow. You must be tired from the train ride and moving the supplies. Get some food and sleep."

"Thank you."

The Major and Captain told Nick where the kitchen was and he thanked them again for the information.

The Lieutenant exited the building and made his way to the kitchen and mess hall. Nick was happy for the warm welcome, temporarily distracting his thoughts from the emptiness inside him. Tomorrow, he would spend the day learning everything about the base and its leaders if he was to successfully protect Judy's family. But for now, the fox would settle down and recover from the three-day train ride.

Nick finally arrived at the kitchen and saw the rows of tables filled with predators eating. Pulling out his empty mess tin, he walked up to the cook, a badger, who was surprised to see a Lieutenant standing before him.

"I thought you would eat with others of your rank or higher. Usually, they think they're too good to eat with the grunts."

"I'm not surprised to hear that," Nick replied solemnly. "I do it because I'm a fox. There will be mammals not used to the idea of one being in charge, so I try to show that we're equal. Even if it means giving up a few privileges of being an officer," he added with a chuckle.

"Very noble of you," the cook replied. "I would have expected otherwise. Trust me. I know it's not easy for a fox to have this much success."

"Good to hear. What are you serving tonight?"

The badger scooped a ladle from the pot. "Beans cooked in bugs and fat with a side of bread. Enjoy."

"Delicious."

The cook filled Nick's tin and gave him a piece of bread. Nick thanked the cook and left in search of a table. He didn't have to search long when his name was called.

"Lieutenant Wilde! Over here!"

Nick looked to see a table filled with predators from his unit. He smiled and strolled over to them. The fox was about to take a seat near the end when Wolford stopped him.

"No, over here!" The wolf indicated the space in the middle.

Nick complied and sat in the open space among his troops. It was moments like this that made him appreciate their support.

"Drink?" Delgato offered, holding out an opened bottle of heavily diluted beer. One of many around the table.

Nick nodded and took out his cup, holding it for the lion.

Delgato filled his cup and Nick immediately downed his drink in one gulp before requesting a second.

"Easy there, sir," Fangmeyer said. "No need to get drunk on your first day here. You would have to drink a few bottles to even do so."

"I know. I just needed that. I promise to not get carried away."

After a moment of hesitation, Delgato filled a second up.

True to his word, Nick simply put the cup down and took his cap off before eating. The rest of the table continued with their meals for a little bit before a conversation finally struck up.

"So how was meeting with the officers here?" Clawhauser asked. "Get any information?"

Nick swallowed the bite of bread he had been chewing. "Would you believe that the predators here are being led by mammals of my size?"

"Really?" Snarlof said. "I didn't think there would be other units like ours."

"Their higher ranks did prevent me from learning more about them, but that will change eventually."

"Any word of our actions?" Grizzoli asked.

Nick sipped his drink to wash down the remaining bread. "It's a waiting game right now. The Empire is trying to lure Bullgaria into joining the Central Powers. It could be months before we hear of any news. Even then, we still have to wait on higher command after the decision is made."

"Great, this war is not going to end anytime soon," Johnson the lion complained.

"Are you honestly surprised?" Andersen the polar bear said. "We all thought the war would be over by Christmas and that didn't happen. All we can do is hope the empires and states come to that same feeling."

Johnson scoffed. "Like the governments would want that."

"Now now," Wolford said, trying to prevent an escalation. "Let's not get into an argument about our leaders. Not after what we just went through."

The table became silent, as much as it could in the barracks, as they understood the reference.

Wolford eventually decided to risk asking the question. "What are their plans for Bunnyburrow?"

Nick froze at the question. The predators at the table held their breath, hoping for a hopefully mild response.

The fox set his spoon down and grabbed his cup. "I don't know, but I'm preparing for the worst. There are so many factors involved that I can only hope and pray for the right ones. And I don't even know if Judy has been sent home which only adds to the difficulty."

The predators had no words to say after that last sentence. They wouldn't even know where to begin and simply remained silent.

Noticing their behavior, Nick finished the beans and gulped the last dregs from his cup. He put on his cap and stood. "I'm going to go clean up and turn in for the night. I'll see you all in the morning."

The predators watched Nick walk away from the table and disappear from their sight when he exited the barrack.

Nick returned to the officer's quarters, having remembered the location on the way to meeting with the Major and Captain. Arriving at the place, Nick opened the door and entered inside. The room contained a single bed including a single pillow, blankets, and sheets, a table near the window with an oil lamp and a candle, and a chest.

For once, Nick appreciated being alone. He first checked the chest for its contents and discovered a towel, brush, and a bar of soap. Among other items that Nick didn't care for at the moment. His leaders informed him that he could either make the long walk to the Dazoobe River or wait for clean water to arrive to wash himself. Nick instead went for a third option. Having no desire and little energy, he locked the door, stripped himself naked, and began grooming. Thirty minutes later, the fox felt refreshed and only put on his underwear before checking the chest again for any matches to light the lamp. He thanked the heavens for finding a box and lit one up.

After lighting the lamp, the fox collapsed on the chair with this elbows on the table and paws on his face. He hated everything about the current situation and needed to get his mind off the topic. Nick reached over to his coat and searched for anything to distract him. His paws felt his journal but he didn't feel the need to write his thoughts down at that moment. But then another idea came into his head. Nick took the journal out and reached into his coat again. This time pulling out a pencil and an eraser stick. He set the items down on the table and moved the lamp closer. Nick opened to a blank page in the back of the journal and grabbed the pencil.

He closed his eyes for a few moments. "Okay." He opened them and began marking on the blank page. Nick grunted in frustration a few times when he made mistakes and had to use the eraser stick. A look of pure concentration was on his face the entire time. Nick glanced at his watch occasionally to make sure he had enough time to finish and go to sleep. Over an hour later, he finally put the pencil and eraser stick down and looked at the now filled page. Nick only wished he had other colors, especially purple. But he at least was able to darken the area for black on the tip of the ears and lightly color in gray for the fur. What mattered to him were the nose, the eyes, and most importantly, the smile. While it may not have been the best face drawing, having a picture of Judy Hopps to look at was enough for him. Nick smiled and chuckled at his work, wondering what Judy would think if she ever saw it.

The fox closed the journal and blew out the lamp. Stretching his arms, he let out a large sigh of relief as the muscles stretched. Nick slowly got up from the chair and paced over to the bed where he collapsed face down onto the pillow from exhaustion. Nick forced himself to move the blanket over him as he struggled in a losing battle with his body wanting to fall asleep above all else in that moment. Nick succeeded the same time his strength gave out. He silently lay in bed until his mind joined his body. Soon, the only sounds from inside the room were from the breathing of a sleeping fox.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the only chapter with a split perspective. From here on out, it will be from either Judy or Nick's point of view until further notice.
> 
> Will the Great War be kind to them and their close ones? I highly doubt it.


	2. Slow Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Breathed a sigh of relief* It's been a while but it's finally out. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I had in writing it.
> 
> Much thanks to Cimar Turalis of WildeHopps for taking the time to edit this. I highly recommend checking out his stories as they are all amazing!

_Western Front,_

“Over the trench!”

The whistle sounded and the prey climbed out of the trench into No Mammal’s Land with orders to capture the predators’ trench and end the stalemate that has been plaguing the Western Front for months. In the days leading up to this assault, the prey shelled the predators’ location with artillery to weaken their defenses. As the prey mammals rushed across the wasteland, artillery and gunfire from the predators cut down their strength and numbers, but the prey continued forward and returned fire.

Second Lieutenant Judy Hopps led the charge and struggled to advance through the loud artillery explosions around her. To minimize hearing loss, she wrapped the ears around her head and covered them with her cap before exiting the trench. Judy’s small size allowed her to hide in the craters made from the artillery and behind the fallen while advancing, sniping as she went. She needed to close the distance and aim for headshots because of her weapons’ weaker firepower and range, but the successful hits guaranteed a kill.

Previous prey assaults had ended in high casualties and retreat. But this time, after learning from those failures, the prey made significant advances. Near the predators’ trench, Judy was hiding behind a fallen elephant to recover from the explosions. When her ears finally stopped ringing, she poked her head out to assess the enemy’s strength. There was only one machine gun in the immediate area but with little cover between their respective positions. The doe watched the gun flash and cut down the prey exposed in the open.

Judy returned to cover and looked at her surroundings. She saw survivors hiding behind any possible cover in the barren No Mammals Land. Those nearby caught Judy in their sights and looked to her for their next move. Not wanting another retreat, her mind went into overdrive as the battle raged on. Seconds later, an idea finally came to her. With gunfire and explosions make verbal orders useless, the doe communicated to her troops with her paws. Judy made a stop motion and pointed to herself followed by a trigger motion.

The Lieutenant then pointed at them and made a throwing motion followed by an advancing one. The prey understood and informed other soldiers nearby of the new orders. As they readied their grenades, Judy checked her revolver for ammo before getting into position. She slowly raised her head and weapon above the body. She would only have seconds before the enemy fired on her position. Recalling the location from memory, Judy hastily aimed at the machine gun and fired, not caring if the bullets hit.

Once she counted to six, Judy immediately returned to her cover as the bullets riddled her position. A few seconds later, a series of explosions followed by gunfire from the prey occurred before an eerie calm settled over this section of the battlefield. After escaping death once more, Judy looked up from her cover and saw the prey storming into the predator’s trench. Panic struck as she realized she could be too late for her ulterior purpose in this battle and ran for her life towards the trenches, reloading her revolver as she went. After traversing the wasteland, Judy quickly jumped down into the trench and was met with the sight of wounded and dead predators as well as a mix of her own soldiers.

She scanned the bodies and to her temporarily relief, her mammal of interest was not among them. With increasing panic, Judy hurried and jumped over the bodies with only one location in mind: the bunker. Each passing second increased her anxiety and heart rate. She needed to calm down, but the emotions were currently running high. In the frantic state of mind, Judy tripped over a corpse while running. Her fast speed caused Judy to fall to the ground hard and be slow in getting up. While lying on the ground, her ears picked up a familiar voice.

“Don’t shoot! Please! I surrender!”

Judy gasped as tears slowly formed in her eyes from recognizing the pleading voice. Realizing the imminent danger, Judy pushed herself to stand and took off in the direction of the voice, ignoring everything else going on around her. She ran with her revolver out and ready to fire at anyone daring to stand in the way regardless of their affiliation. Judy turned a corner to see a red fox on its knees with its paws up much to her relief. But to her horror, she also saw three prey soldiers aiming their rifles at the fox with fiery prejudice in their eyes.

“NICK!”

Nick turned to the direction of the voice. His fearful face changed to that of hope at seeing her. “Judy!”

But in that moment of distraction, the three soldiers fired their weapons and Judy watched in slow motion horror as Nick flinched from being hit. His body fell down to the ground, bouncing once before stopping, the brilliance in his green eyes flickering as the life drained from the three bullet wounds in his chest.

“NOOOOO!” Judy raised her revolver and in hysterics, emptied the weapon on her own soldiers; two for each. The bullets hit their marks and three prey soldiers lay dead on the ground before they realized their grave mistake. Judy dropped her revolver and rushed to a bleeding Nick. She cradled his head and saw him breathing heavily and barely responsive. The breathing and movement then started to slow as his eyes closed, sending Judy into a frenzy. She desperately shook him as the tears flowing uncontrollably and his blood stained her.

“Nick! Nick! Oh Nick! Don’t! Nick! No! No! You can’t, Nick!” Judy looked down at him once more before taking one long deep breath and shrieking. “NIIIICK!”

* * *

  
Judy woke up screaming and gasping for air. She looked down at her paws to see them cradling one of the pillows. The bunny immediately tossed it aside and grabbed the black teddy bear from the pile of stuffed animals, hugging it tightly, slowly rocking back and forth on the bed while weeping uncontrollably. She had been plagued by nightmares of Nick’s fate since returning home. Each growing worse with Nick’s death varying in the outcomes, but always the same. Seeing her friend...her fox, laying lifeless in her paws.

The sound of knocking on the door grabbed her attention, but she had no desire to leave the bed. “Judy? Honey?” Bonnie called, her voice filled with care and concern. When Judy didn’t respond, her mother opened the door and stepped into the room to see the sorrowful state of her daughter. With motherly instincts quickly taking control, Bonnie locked the door to the room and joined her daughter on the bed, embracing her in a hug. Judy slowly returned the hug with the teddy bear squished between the does.

“Another nightmare?” Bonnie calmly asked.

Judy sniffled, nodding slowly.

Her mother sighed deeply. “We’re all worried for you, sweetheart. You’ve been having them for the past month.”

Judy let out a hiccup before speaking. “I know, Ma. But I don’t know what to do!”

Bonnie moved to where she could look at her daughter in the eyes and through the tears, Judy saw her mother’s determination.

“The only thing left to do,” Bonnie said.

The doe’s expression slowly went wide at the dreaded answer. “Please tell me we’re not doing the electric shock treatment.”

Bonnie’s determination was instantly replaced with alarm. “Goodness no!” she exclaimed while frantically waving her paws. “Your father will have to go through me before I allow that to happen!”

Judy released a sigh of relief. She had heard the army using that treatment on soldiers with similar conditions. It was ironic that the method frightened her more than being in actual combat. “Thank you. So what did you have in mind?”

“We’re going to talk about it. Just you and me.”

Judy still felt uncomfortable about her mother’s solution. “Are you sure about that? My screams must have woken up the entire burrow.”

“Actually, we’re all used to it by now. Being exposed to them for the past month will do that, and we have time before morning comes.”

Judy blushed with embarrassment and felt remorseful for forcing her family to endure her night terrors. “I’m sorry.”

A small smile appeared on Bonnie’s face. “There’s no need to apologize, honey. We all understand that adjusting is difficult, but you should know that we’re all here for you. Now come...I’ll make us some carrot tea.”

Judy nodded and followed Bonnie out of the bedroom, taking the black teddy bear with her. On the way to the living room, a few awakened family members along their path dared to sneak a peek at the passing does, but with a threatening glare sent their way from the matriarch, the rabbits instantly shut the doors to their rooms. Judy paid no heed to her surroundings, simply letting her mother guide her.

She sat down at a table while her mother brewed the carrot tea in the kitchen. As the water began heating up, Bonnie silently checked on her daughter and her heart ached at the sight. The happiness and joy normally expressed were no longer there, replaced with sadness and misery. Judy sat with both arms around the black bear, looking shrunken in on herself, but it was her small rhythmic chin-rubbing on the stuffed toy’s head that caught Bonnie’s attention.

Before the Great War, Judy had kept it among the other stuffed animals, but ever since she returned home, the bear was always seen in Judy’s possession when she had her night terrors. Bonnie never questioned why, since Judy appeared calm after hugging it, but did notice the red neckerchief. The matriarch wondered where it came from since she never saw the clothing item when Judy first received it from her friend.

The sound of the tea kettle whistle brought her attention back and she quickly attended to it. Bonnie returned a short time later with two cups of carrot tea, placing one in front of Judy while sitting down across from her. Fortunately, Bonnie had experience with her relatives that fought in wars and knew the procedure of opening the conversation by letting her daughter take control. Asking only when appropriate.

“Do you want to describe your dreams?” she asked, avoiding the word nightmare.

Judy slowly nodded before freeing one arm to sip the tea. “Delicious tea, Ma. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, dear.”

Judy set the cup down and took a deep breath. “The beginning and the end are the same. What happens in between is different.”

At this point, Bonnie refrained from speaking until it was necessary.

“I blow the whistle and lead a charge with my troops on the predators’ trench. Some fall to enemy fire. Some retreat. The few brave mammals remaining push forward. As a commanding officer, I needed to lead by example and continued to advance.”

Bonnie was surprised that Judy showed little reaction to seeing her fellow soldiers dying. Then again, seeing death occur nearly every day would be the norm on the front lines.

“We succeed in reaching and entering their trench to clear it out.” Judy made a long, noticeable pause before continuing. “While clearing the trench, I hear a…very close friend of mine being surrounded by soldiers.”

Bonnie instantly picked up the sadness in her voice at the last sentence. This must be where her nightmares occur. She hoped that Judy could fully give the details but remained doubtful for that outcome.

“I rush through the trench to save my friend, not caring who was in my way with time running short,” Judy began trembling, clutching the black teddy bear with both arms. “I reached my friend in time, but instead of gunning down the enemies…I was so desperate that I…” Judy could no longer proceed and finally broke down crying.

Bonnie was immediately at her side and wrapped her arms around the doe. She had no words to say. Judy blamed herself for causing her friend’s death, and Bonnie had no idea how to convince her otherwise. So she asked a question instead, hoping it would distract Judy from those dark thoughts.

“Is Nick your friend’s name?”

Judy stopped crying and froze. The bunny slowly released from her mother’s hug and looked into her eyes with surprise. “W-why do you think that?”

“You were screaming his name on some nights, honey. The whole burrow heard you.”

Judy instantly covered her mouth and looked away, the teddy falling on its side on her lap. She had hoped her family would never find out about Nick until the war was over, but her nightmares changed all that. The only thing she could do now would be to feed tidbits of information when asked about him, without revealing too much.

“Don’t worry. No one is allowed to mention his name to you or speak of him unless you bring it up,” Bonnie assured.

For the first time since arriving home, Judy felt relieved. She gave her mother a strong hug and nuzzled her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

They held each other for a few more moments before releasing. While on the topic of Nick, Bonnie hoped to ask more questions about him and would accept whatever Judy answered.

“So does that neckerchief belong to him? I’ve never seen it before.”

Judy glanced at the clothing. “Yes, he gave it to me for Christmas as a gift. In fact, Nick was the reason why this past Christmas was a happy one.” The memories from the Christmas Truce brought a smile to her face. This part she was more than happy to tell.

The sudden return of her happiness shocked Bonnie. She had been worried if Judy would ever recover. Bonnie would need to thank this Nick for cheering up her daughter when she got the chance to see him, but first… “I’m so happy for you, honey! I’ll make sure to thank this Nick when I see him. If you don’t mind me asking, is he...”

Judy sighed heavily, knowing her mother’s hopes. “He’s not a buck, Ma. And I would be happy if you didn’t ask any further. At least...not yet.” Judy hated to keep secrets from her mother, but the doe doubted that she and the rest of the family would believe that a fox gave her one of the best Christmas celebrations in recent memory. Let alone to her admitting love for one. Judy would reveal everything once the war was over.

Bonnie was disappointed that she couldn’t get more information on Nick, but she knew when to stop asking questions. “Okay Judy. Do you feel better now?”

Judy nodded, retaining her smile. “Yes, Ma. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You can sleep in again today and work the roadside stand if you need to.”

“Please?”

Bonnie kissed Judy on the cheek. “I would have made you regardless. Now finish your tea and go back to sleep.”

The tea had cooled a little since the conversation, but neither does minded the lukewarm temperature. After finishing their drinks, Bonnie returned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and Judy returned to her bedroom for a well-deserved rest.

On the way, Judy noticed a tan rabbit wearing a white shirt and long white pants walking in the opposite direction. “Bailey?”

“Oh hi, Judy!” The young buck stopped in front of her sister. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” She became nervous and played with the black teddy. “Did I…wake you up?”

Bailey remained silent and appeared nervous. Judy understood the message. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I needed to get up early for some training anyway.”

Judy tilted her head in confusion. “Training?”

“The Zoolympics remember? They’re being held next year.”

It took a few seconds, but the memory surfaced. “Oh yes! I remember now! Sorry, those details escape you when spending months away fighting in a war.”

“I understand.”

“But why are you up so early? You usually practice in the afternoon.”

“My plan is to add more training time as the Games get closer. With them being in Bearlin this year, there will be many predators competing for the gold and many prey competing against them. So I will have heavy competition.”

“I see, and this will also be your first time competing in the Games?” Judy asked.

“Absolutely! I would have entered the 1912 games had it not been for the costs to travel to them. But at least I got four more years to train. As for the money, I’ve been working extra chores and jobs outside of school and training,”

“You’re not taking money for competing, are you? The Committee has very strict amateur rules.”

“Of course not! I don’t want to end up like Jim Throepe.” His expression became forlorn at the deer’s fate. “It was unfair what they did to him, and he won two gold medals too.” Bailey sighed. “At least Jim still managed to play professional baseball, and the committee is fair to both predators and prey. I only hope that the ongoing war doesn’t affect the Games.”

“You’re not the only one.”

Judy’s sentence confused Bailey since she wasn’t competing but decided to not pursue the discussion further. “Well, I better get going.”

“Good luck, and have fun.”

“Thank you.”

Bailey proceeded to the barn where he trained for gymnastics. Judy questioned how her parents allowed him to pursue his dream, but she was glad they were being more open to letting their children become more than carrot farmers nonetheless. But Bailey might have some difficulty in getting their parents to let him compete in a predator-populated empire. With a smile on her face and feeling more cheerful, Judy returned to her bedroom.

* * *

  
The doe had gotten a couple more hours of sleep before waking up at nine. After eating a late breakfast, she worked at the roadside stand set up by her parents. Bonnie and Stu made this arrangement whenever Judy experienced her night terrors, believing the quiet from being alone would help calm her down. Judy didn’t mind as she enjoyed the peacefulness and solitude away from the more curious family members.

The remainder of the morning quickly passed as Judy served customers visiting the stand, taking a short break for lunch before returning to work. While watching for customers, her eyes fell to the stack of newspapers on the stand. They had been selling them along with their crops for as far as she could remember and Judy decided to read one to pass the time and learn what happened in Bunnyburrow while away.

The headline pertaining to the ongoing war immediately got her attention. Hoping for any sign of peace, Judy picked up a copy to stay informed of any actions by the belligerents. But none of the writing showed and the title she currently saw was no different.

1915—Gnurman Admiralty Declaration

_All the waters surrounding the United Dominion and Deereland, including the whole of the surrounding channel, are hereby declared to be a war zone. From February 18 onwards every enemy merchant vessel found within this war zone will be destroyed without it always being possible to avoid danger to the crews and passengers._

_Neutral ships will also be exposed to danger in the war zone, as, in view of the misuse of neutral flags ordered on January 31 by the Bruin Government, and owing to unforeseen incidents to which naval warfare is liable, it is impossible to avoid attacks being made on neutral ships in mistake for those of the enemy._

_Navigation to the north, in the eastern parts of the North Sea and through a zone at least thirty nautical miles wide along the Ratlands coast is not exposed to danger._

At the conclusion of the article, Judy checked the date and indeed discovered that today was February 18. She closed her eyes and whimpered. “Why?!” Gnurman’s naval declaration would only serve to prolong the war. She was beginning to lose hope that it would be over soon, despite trying to remain hopeful. Judy quickly stopped herself from drifting into darker thoughts and looked around to focus on something else.

Her mind drifted to the promise she and Nick made just after they saved each other’s units from their respective artillery barrages. Judy imagined the various scenarios in their head of the eventual meeting: Nick surprising her, Judy pretending to not know him, Nick trying to steal a few blueberries for himself while playfully mocking her about carrots. All of this once again brought a smile to her face and her dark thoughts recessed to the back of her mind.

But that happiness disappeared when Judy heard a vehicle pulling up and she quickly made herself more presentable for the potential customer. The first thing the doe noticed was the delivery truck, but it was a red male fox in a blue and white plaid shirt and blue overalls exiting the driver’s seat that caught her full attention. Judy wanted to believe the red fox was Nick, but the eyes and appearance did not match. One thing the bunny knew, her fear of foxes was no longer present.

Upon seeing Judy behind the stand, the fox became surprised when he recognized her. “Well I’ll be. Is that you, Judy?”

It took a moment for the doe to gather her thoughts and respond. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

The tod became nervous and scratched the back of his head. “Well uh, does this sound familiar to you?” He cleared his throat. “Stupid carrot, farming dumb bunny.”

Judy pondered those words for a moment before her eyes went wide. “Gideon Grey?!”

“Hi…” he said meekly while waving his paw, careful to not unsheathe his claws.

Gideon braced himself for the incoming reaction. Whatever Judy said he deserved after hurting her when they were young. But instead, he got…

“Wow,”

Her calm response caught him off guard, having expected her to be more vocal and negative. “Huh? You’re not going to yell at me. You must be angry for what I did to you.”

“I’m…actually more shocked right now. I mean. You look so much different since our last encounter.”

“Yes, I-I’ve changed a lot since. I was hoping to meet you before you went off to fight in the war. Now that you’re back, I just want to apologize for the way I behaved in my youth. I had a lot of self-doubt, and it manifested itself in the form of unchecked rage and aggression. I was a horrible mammal.”

She found herself in disbelief at how much Gideon had changed for the better from her past experience with him. Thanks to Nick, Judy understood that Gideon may have been mistreated for being a fox and she believed his apology to be sincere. If she gave Nick a chance, she should do the same for him. “I forgive you, Gideon.”

Touched by her forgiveness, Gideon almost shed a tear but remained composed. “Thank you, Judy. If you don’t mind me asking, why are you back home instead of fighting?”

A look of dejection appeared on Judy’s face. “I was honorably discharged from the army.”

The reason shocked Gideon. He had thought Judy was on leave. “Why would they do that? The war is starting to pick up last I heard.”

“Please don’t remind me.”

Gideon winced from accidentally Judy distress. “Sorry, so uh I’m here to buy your produce,” He said, trying to change the subject.

“Right? What would you like?”

Gideon listed what he needed and provided crates for Judy to put them in. He offered to help, but Judy politely refused, saying she needed to do something besides sit there and do nothing.

“So what are these for?” Judy asked while packaging the items.

“Oh right! I forgot to tell you that I run a baking shop now: Gideon Grey’s Baked Goods. It’s become quite popular in Bunnyburrow and word is spreading to the other areas of the Tri-burrow as well.”

Judy stopped for a moment, impressed with the news of his growing success. “That’s really neat, Gideon. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you, Judy. So I was wondering if I could speak with your Ma and Pa. I’m looking for a business partner for the shop. I’ve spoken with the other farms but they all rejected the offer. I-I came to your family to apologize for hurting you and ask to work with them in return.”

Judy’s joy was dampened when she heard Gideon’s failure with the other farms. She grew angry at them for not giving him a chance and became determined for him to be successful with her family. But Judy knew she didn’t hold the final decision. “You’ll have to ask them yourself. But I’ll mention the offer and promise to be with you when you meet them.”

A smile appeared on Gideon’s face. “Thanks Judy. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.” Judy finished packaging the requested produce. “All done, Gideon.”

Gideon handed over the payment. “Here’s the money, Judy.”

She counted the amount and to her shock, discovered he had given more than the price. She tried to return the excess but Gideon stopped her.

“Keep the change, Judy. It’s for you. The least I can do for your service. If you want to help, stop by the bakery. You’ll love what I’m making with your crops.”

His act of kindness warmed her heart and cemented that his change was for real. Tearing up, Judy walked around the stand to give him a big hug. “I will, Gideon. Thank you.”

Gideon returned the gesture. “You’re welcome, and I can carry the crates.”

After loading everything onto the truck, they waved goodbye to each other before Gideon returned to his bakery. Judy returned to the stand more cheerful after the reunion. She wondered how Nick would react if he met Gideon. That was, until she remembered telling him of the incident as a child. The doe became alarmed at his worst possible reaction. She would need to tell Nick about Gideon’s reform before they meet again.

* * *

  
Late in the afternoon, Bonnie and Stu stopped by the roadside stand to check on her.

“How are you doing, Jude?” Stu asked.

“Everything is well. I made some sales.” Judy motioned to the box of money below.

“That’s great, honey!” Bonnie complimented. “Do you want to go deposit some to the bank with one of your brothers? You need to pick up your pay from the army station as well.”

“Oh right! I forgot! Yes, I’ll do that.”

“Now your army pay will go the family emergency fund so bring it back here. But it doesn’t mean you can’t spend some for yourself.” Stu said. “You practically fought for it!”

Judy could resist a giggle at Stu’s attempt to cheer her up. “That’s true. Thanks, Pa.”

He tossed the keys for Judy to catch. “Go on now. We’ll get someone to take your place.”

Judy grabbed the box and searched for her brother Nestor. She first went to her room to retrieve the necessary documents to receive her pay before resuming her search. Judy later found him in his room working on some documents, noticing the table littered with papers and pencils.

“What are you doing, Nestor?”

The black bunny turned around to see his sister standing in the doorway. “Oh hi, Judy. I’m working on the family finances.”

His statement intrigued the doe. “Really?”

“Mhm. It turns out Pa realized the value of my interests in mathematics. He has me working as an accountant since all they do is work on numbers which he considers safe. I’m okay with that. It saves him money from having to pay one, and I get to apply my knowledge. Maybe he’ll let me go to school to get certified!”

Judy felt so happy for Nestor and hoped this path will eventually lead him to be a mathematician. “So do you still work out in the fields? It’s where I last saw you before I left.”

“Of course! You know the burrow rules. Everyone has to contribute in the fields.” Nestor noticed the box of money in Judy’s paws. “Are those the profits from today’s sales?”

Judy nodded.

“Alright, give it here.”

The doe gave the box to Nestor and watched him count the money. A few minutes later, he set aside a small amount and put the rest back in the box.

“Here you go.” He returned the box to Judy. “These go to the bank while the rest goes into the emergency fund.”

“Thanks, Nestor. Can you take me to the bank and army station?”

Her brother shook his head. “Sorry, I need to work on these income taxes. They’ll be a nightmare if not done by April. Maybe Felix can take you. He should be out in the barn performing science experiments.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Judy went outside to the barn hoping to find her brother Felix there. As she got closer to the structure, the doe could hear creaking and the sound of equipment. She opened the barn doors to see Felix surrounded by labeled containers and working with a few of the family crops. The doe also saw Bailey performing a routine on a handle bar he presumably set up along with a descending tight rope. Judy waited until Bailey finished his move to knock on the barn door and get their attention. The two bucks saw her standing at the barn entrance.

“Judy! What are you doing here?” Bailey asked.

“Ma and Pa have asked me to find someone to take me to the bank so I can deposit the money and pick up my army pay. Nestor’s busy so he told me to find you, Felix.”

Hearing about the trip excited the white bunny. “Sure! I need to go to town to buy some supplies. Give me a moment!” He checked his work while Judy and Bailey spoke.

“I didn’t know Felix let you train in here with him,” Judy said.

“That happened recently with the Games approaching,” Bailey answered. “He doesn’t mind and even has me be his assistant at times.”

“I can see that. Is it just you or does he have anyone else?”

“Felix has a few. but he’s relied on me since I don’t cause too much trouble with his work.”

Judy stifled a giggle at the shenanigans that might have occurred with her other family members. “I’m happy you are working on your dreams.”

“Thanks. He even helps me time my performances so we both win.”

Felix then returned to Judy and Bailey with a list. “Ready to go. Bailey, do you mind watching my things while I’m out? Don’t want the Kerfluffle to get into the experiments again.” The family was fortunate that the incident involved harmless experiments, but Felix and his parents agreed that more precautions needed to be taken to keep the younger ones safe. As such, most of the responsibility fell to Felix in keeping and disposing of the experiments safely.

“Will do!”

Felix and Judy left the barn for the truck while Bailey resumed his training.

* * *

  
“You have the keys?” her brother asked as they arrived at the truck.

Judy pulled them out from the box and gave them to him.

“Excellent!”

He unlocked the doors and they entered the truck. Moments later, the two bunnies were on their way into town.

“I assume you were working on science projects in there?” Judy inquired.

“Correct. Pa wants me to improve the health of the crops. The Midnicampum holicithias only protects against bugs, but what about the weather and plant diseases? So many possibilities and I’m happy for him to let me work like this.”

“So am I.”

The two spent the drive talking about their dreams. Felix asked if Judy would pursue being a police officer now that she was out of the army. Judy admitted to that possibility but remained indecisive. The buck accepted her answer, and the rest of the drive was made in silence. Neither of them mentioned the ongoing war out of respect for the doe. Felix and the rest of the family knew it would be months before Judy would consider opening up.

The truck finally arrived at the local army station and Judy hopped out. “This shouldn’t take long,” Judy said.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Judy exited the vehicle and approached the building. Nostalgia swept through her from the day she first stepped inside to sign up. It had been a long and difficult process since there were few rabbit soldiers. Those already in the army were limited to non-combat roles. There had never been a rabbit commissioned officer before her and it was a proud moment for Judy. Were there things the doe wanted to forget? Yes, but she wouldn’t change a thing.

Inside the building, Judy approached the goat receptionist.

“Excuse me?”

The goat looked around for the source of the voice.

“Down here!”

The receptionist looked and saw Judy standing before him. “Oh hello! What can I do for you?”

“Hello! I’m here to pick up my pay. Can you point me in the direction?”

“I’ll need to see some identification and documents first to prove you’re not on duty.”

Judy produced the discharge paper and her identification card.

The goat took the items and verified them. “Everything looks official.” He returned the items and directed Judy to the room behind him. “It’s in the baaack.” The receptionist smiled at her after letting out the bleat.

He got his intended reaction when the bunny returned with her own smile. Judy thanked the goat before following the given directions. She arrived at the room and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” a male voice called out.

The doe entered the room and saw a giraffe officer sitting at a table along with a rhino and a hippo guarding the officer. Behind them were bags of what Judy assumed to be filled with cash. She approached the table and noticed papers and a single pistol. Judy assumed the weapon was a precaution to prevent theft.

The giraffe saw Judy approaching. “Are you here for your payment?”

She nodded and placed the items for the officer on the table.

The giraffe looked at them for a few seconds before pulling a paper and a small pencil. “Please sign this and you will receive your pay.”

Judy stepped forward to the table and stood on her toes to sign her name. While doing so, the rhino retrieved a bag of money from the pile and placed it on the table. When she finished signing, Judy was surprised to see the large size of the bag but refrained from asking more questions and simply took it and smiled.

“Thank you.”

The mammals nodded and Judy exited the room, holding the bag by the knot while supporting the bottom. With curiosity getting the better of her, Judy stopped for a moment to check the money when alone. She opened the bag and discovered a note at the top of the money stacks. Judy took the piece of paper out of the bag and read it.

Merry Christmas, Hopps.

The doe recognized the writing from her discharge papers and smiled at Bogo’s generous gift. The act further proved that the General truly cared for those under his command. Judy slipped the note into her hat and tied the bag before continuing her exit. Outside, Felix waited for his sister to come out of the building when he heard the door open. He looked to see Judy throwing the money bag inside before entering herself.

The buck let out a long whistle at seeing the money. “You got paid that much for fighting in the war?”

“Most of it is from my time as a commissioned officer. I got a pay raise after my promotion and a small compensation after my discharge.”

“Ah, I remember. You were promoted to Second Lieutenant this past Christmas. Are we depositing that into the bank also?”

“No, it’s going into the family emergency funds, but Pa is allowing me to spend some on myself first before delivering it.”

“That makes sense. Are you going to do that now?”

“If you don’t mind,” Judy knew they were on errands but wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Not at all. Do you need to drive you somewhere?”

“Uh, would you…drive me to Gideon’s Baked Goods?”

“Gideon’s? Wait, so that means…”

It didn’t surprise her that no one else in the family knew about their encounter earlier, but she felt it was important to get the details out of the way to avoid assumptions. “Yes, he came by the stand today and apologized for hurting me years ago. Gideon also asked me about partnering up with the family farm to help his bakery.” Judy anxiously waited for her brother’s response, hoping it wouldn’t be negative

“Well if you say he’s changed, then I believe you.”

Judy felt an overwhelming relief that Felix showed no ill towards Gideon.

“But I’m not sure if how Ma and Pa will react to that,” he continued. “You know how they are with foxes.”

“Which is why I have to be the one to tell them. If someone who was attacked by a fox is willing to give him a second chance, so should they.”

“That’s fair. Between you and me, the family knew about his bakery and some of us actually want to try his treats. But you know how it is in Bunnyburrow. Word travels fast.”

Judy let out an annoyed huff. “I’m surprised Ma and Pa allow him to buy our crops if that’s what they think of foxes.”

“Money is money as they say.”

“Wow…” she said in disbelief.

“Ironic, right?”

* * *

  
“We’ll meet back here in one hour,” Felix said as they parked in front of Gideon’s bakery. “It’s going to take time to deposit the money and for me to buy my supplies.”

“Thank you, Felix.” Judy opened the bag and took out a stack of bills. She got out of the truck and waved goodbye to her brother as he drove off.

Judy stood in front of the bakery, taking in its appearance. The sign had the words Gideon’s Baked Goods in cursive writing next to the year established: 1914. She assumed he must have opened the bakery back in August. It was small compared the others she had seen. Gideon must either worked by himself or had few employees willing to work with a fox. The shop had the displays of the different treats offered seen through the glass and the window shopping alone was enough to pull the bunny forward. A bell sounded when Judy opened the door.

“Be out with you in a minute!” she heard Gideon shout from the back.

While she waited, the bunny looked around inside the bakery. A few chairs and tables occupied the sides of the shop, allowing customers the chance to sit down and eat their treats while on the opposite side of the front entrance were more glass displays and written menus of the different choices offered. Judy was impressed that Gideon could bake all these treats himself though she would need to ask for a sample to add more support when proposing the partnership.

“Judy! I didn’t expect you here. Come to see this place for yourself?”

The doe saw Gideon in the same attire, except he now wore an apron and was covered in flour. “I didn’t know you could make all this.”

“Me neither, but I discovered my talent for this while reforming my behavior. Now I get more joy out of making mammals happy than ridiculing them.”

A big smile formed on her face. “I look forward to trying one of your dishes made from our produce, if one is ready.”

“I just put a pie in the oven nary more than a quarter hour ago made from your blueberries. I’ll give you a slice when it’s done.”

Judy nodded. “Thanks Gideon.”

While the pie baked, she continued to ask Gideon about the shop from the beginning to the present. She also asked about the sales and was saddened to hear that despite the good hospitality, the bakery received few customers and no one wanted to work for him. Gideon assured her that he made enough to keep the place open, but Judy felt that prejudice against foxes was responsible for the lack of popularity. She was now more determined than ever to establish the partnership.

The timer rang from the back of the store. “Pie’s ready. Take a seat and I’ll bring ya out a slice.”

Judy nodded and sat down at one of the tables while Gideon went in the back. A few minutes later he appeared with a slice of blueberry pie on a plate with a fork and napkin, setting it down in front of Judy.

“Enjoy!”

She thanked him and picked up the fork. The sight and smell of the pie were already making her mouth water. She cut off a small piece, noticing its smoothness. The bunny blew air over the filling to cool down the temperature while Gideon stood next to her, anxiously hoping that he did an excellent job. Judy finally took a bite and in an instant, her eyes widened and ears stood erect as the explosion of flavors overcame her taste buds.

Judy slowly turned her head to the now physically nervous Gideon. “This…is…amazing, Gideon!”

The fox let out a huge sigh of relief and watched Judy devour the remaining pie.

The rabbit cleaned off the plate in a relatively short span of time, wiping at her mouth with the napkin. She then sat in the chair with a content smile on her face. “That was the best pie I’ve ever had!”

“Why thank you, Judy. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Do you want another slice?”

Judy shook her head, wanting to save her appetite for dinner. “No, but can I take one home?”

“I’ll give you the whole thing. My treat!”

The sudden gift shocked Judy out of her bliss. “Wait, you’re not going to let me pay?”

Gideon chuckled as he went to package the remaining pie. “The partnership will be more than enough payment,” he quickly continued before Judy could protest further. “But if it doesn’t work out, then you can pay me for the pie. Besides, you need more than words to prove my desserts are fantastic.”

“Funny, I thought the same thing.” With her parents, it sometimes requires physical evidence to convince them or at least make them consider. The pie and their encounter would be the biggest points in the proposal. Judy was also happy that she could still pay for the pie if negotiations fell through. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Gideon walked over to Judy with a bag containing the box of blueberry pie. “Let me know of their answer when you get a chance.”

Judy stood up and accepted the bag. “I will. It was nice meeting you again.”

“My pleasure, Judy. See ya again soon.”

She waved goodbye to Gideon and left the bakery. The tod went to take the plate and fork away when he discovered something slipped under the plate. Gideon smiled as he noticed the one dollar bill when picking up the plate. He picked up the money, only to discover that it wasn’t one dollar. His eyes bulged at the zero next to the one and he nearly dropped the plate when he discovered a second identical bill inside the fold.

As soon as Judy was outside, she turned a corner and ran as fast as she could while carrying the pie. The bunny didn’t want Gideon to return the money and knew that causing a scene would give the wrong impression. Especially with the ongoing war. Judy slowed down to a walk after running a few blocks down the street. “Sorry Gideon, but I’m not letting you suffer like that.”

She quickly realized she would need to return to the store since it’s where Felix dropped her off. Judy groaned and chastised herself. Dumb bunny. Now she had to anticipate Felix’s arrival as the meeting time drew near. While returning to the bakery, she passed by a glass display to a toy store. Judy glanced at the different toys until she froze, turning to the display in front of her. The doe stared at the glass for a few moments before entering the toy shop.

* * *

  
One hour later, Felix rode up to Gideon’s Bakery and saw Judy standing off to the side of the building. As soon as he parked, Judy rushed to the door and entered the car.

“What happened to you?” Felix asked, wondering why Judy was in a rush.

“Nothing! Just need to get home quick!”

He quickly became concerned at the tone of her voice. “Why? Is something wrong?”

Judy realized how her behavior could be interpreted and glanced around until her eyes fell on the bag she brought with her. “Gideon gave me a pie, and I want to make sure it doesn’t spoil!”

Felix would have commented but the smell of said treat coming from the bag proved Judy correct. “Okay then…do you think I can get a piece when we get home?” He hoped the request would make the drive less awkward.

Judy breathed a sigh of relief at the topic change. “After I share it with Ma and Pa. They need to taste it when I mention Gideon’s offer.”

“Very true. Where do you plan on hiding it?”

“My room of course! The younger ones are not allowed in there because of my weapons so it’s the perfect place!”

“Good idea,” the buck said as he shifted gears. “Let’s go home.”

It was dinner time when Felix and Judy returned home. The buck agreed to take Judy’s pay while she went to store the pie until after dinner, in which the doe was grateful. Judy carefully walked to her room with her bag to avoid attracting attention from her family. Fortunately, she didn’t encounter any younger ones and to the older ones she did encounter, Judy explained that the bag contained personal purchases. In her room, Judy placed the bag in her wardrobe and hurried off to dinner before her parents sent someone to check up on her.

Dinner proceeded as normal with Judy answering basic questions about life in the military. As the family ate, Bonnie and Stu noticed their daughter’s more positive behavior as she interacted with her siblings and relatives. They were happy to see their daughter slowly adjusting to life after the war and despite their desire to fully assist, they both understood that Judy needed as much time and that they needed guide rather than lead her. The sound of Judy’s voice broke them away from their thoughts.

“Huh? Did you say something?” Stu asked.

“I asked if you and Ma could meet with me later tonight alone? It’s important.”

“Certainly, Judy,” Bonnie quickly answered, trying to show that she and Stu had been paying attention the entire time.

“Thank you.” Judy returned to eating and the conversations going on around her.

* * *

  
Later that night, Bonnie and Stu sat at a table waiting for Judy. She had told them about needing to retrieve something before speaking to them. The parents were hopeful that their daughter was finally going to open up to begin the healing process, but they were distracted from those thoughts when Judy returned with a box in her paws. Bonnie and Stu also saw two forks placed on top of the box.

“What do you have in there, Judy?” Bonnie asked.

“You’ll see,” Judy set the items down on the table and finally took her seat. “Thank you so much for doing this.”

“You’re welcome, Judy,” Stu said. “So what did you want to tell us?”

Judy took a deep breath while gathered her thoughts. She had been going over the proposal repeatedly in her head. The scenarios were hopeful at best, but Judy held onto those regardless of the odds. “Do you remember Gideon Grey?”

“Of course! We never forgot what he did to you when you were young!” Stu answered quickly.

Bonnie nodded in agreement. “What about him?”

“Well, I met him at the farm stand today. I didn’t recognize him at first until he reminded me.”

“He what?!” Stu exclaimed, his fatherly instincts taking over.

“Stu. Honey, calm down,” Bonnie said. “Gideon visits us to buy our crops remember. This is the first time our daughter has seen him in years.”

“Right, sorry.” Stu breathed slowly as he relaxed. “I don’t mean to interrupt further but you should know that he kept asking if you were home.”

“What did you tell him?” Judy asked, wondering their reaction to seeing his reform.

“That you were off fighting in the war,” Stu said. “He became sad and worried for you. Asked us to tell him when you would return.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me when I did come home?” Judy found it hard to believe that her parents would forget something this significant.

“We didn’t know what he wanted with you, and he hadn’t shown up in a while,” Bonnie said.

“Not until today it seems,” Stu said.

Judy quickly understood why Gideon hadn’t visited the farm recently. The reason for the topic was approaching quickly.

“Anyways, why did you ask about Gideon?” Stu continued.

And there it was. Even with the preparations, Judy still felt nervous but needed to inform her parents. “He first apologized for hurting me when we were children and explained his reasons for his aggressive behavior.”

“Ah, so that’s why,” Bonnie said in understanding. “Well it’s good that he did. Gideon did appear remorseful when we spoke. He didn’t want to say anything else on the matter when asked.”

“We were still afraid of him then, but that didn’t stop us from letting him buy our crops,” Stu said. “In fact, he’s become a frequent customer of ours. Even opened up his own bakery.”

Judy knew of her parents knowing about the place thanks to Felix. What surprised her was the positive attitude towards his recent success. This was the opening she needed. “Yes, his bakery is the main reason for this conversation tonight. Gideon is trying to find partners for his bakery, and he asked about forming one with us.”

Bonnie and Stu turned to each other briefly before looking warily at their daughter, their cheeriness replaces with hesitation.

“Well uh…did he talk to anyone else about this?” Bonnie cautiously asked.

Judy closed her eyes and sighed heavily. “Yes, and they all rejected the offer.”

“For good reason,” Stu grumbled.

“Pa!” Judy didn’t care if her voice attracted attention. She had zero tolerance for prejudice against foxes. The sudden rise in volume caused Bonnie and Stu to flinch. “I know you and Ma are mistrusting of foxes! But please give him a chance! If I, someone he hurt in the past, can forgive Gideon and give him a second chance, shouldn’t my own parents as well?” Judy didn’t let them respond and calmly pushed the box forward. “I went to his bakery today, and he gave me a free pie made from our blueberries. This may look like a bribe, but it’s not. Please taste it so you can see the benefit of a partnership with him. Gideon worked hard to make it perfect for me.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “And if I hear any criticism about the pie because of his species, then this conversation is over.”

Judy placed the forks before her parents and opened the box of blueberry pie. Bonnie and Stu immediately noticed a slice missing. Instead of assuming Gideon stole one for himself, they speculated that he gave it to their daughter for a taste. Under the threat of damaging communication with Judy, yet encouraged by her positive words, Bonnie and Stu picked up the forks and ate the pie. While it may not have been fresh as when it first came out of the oven, Judy hoped that the taste will be enough.

“Sweet carrots, this is delicious!” Stu quietly exclaimed.

Judy beamed at the positive response, holding back the emotions that were threatening to spill over.

“And Gideon made this himself with our blueberries?” Bonnie asked, wanting clarification.

Judy slowly nodded, still smiling and nearly in tears. “He can bake other treats also. Cookies, cakes, you name it.”

“Well then. Now I want to taste those as well.” Stu said.

“So does this mean you’ll give him chance?” Judy’s voice was filled with hope.

“One step at a time, dear,” Bonnie said. “But we’ll speak to him tomorrow.”

While she was slightly disappointed in the delayed answer, it was better than an outright rejection. “It’s all I ask. You can keep the pie.”

“We’ll let you know what happens, and we promise to be open also when speaking to Gideon,” Stu said.

Judy got up from her chair and walked over to her parents. She hugged them both and nuzzled their shoulders. “Thank you. I love you both. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Judy,” Bonnie said.

“Goodnight, bun bun,” Stu said.

Judy kissed her parents before heading off to bed. Inside her bedroom, the moon shining through her window gave enough light for the doe to keep the lamp off that was near the bed. After locking the door, she strolled to the wardrobe to change out of her day clothes. With her night gown on, Judy removed the shopping bag that she hid earlier in the wardrobe and could proceed now that everyone else was either asleep or getting ready for bed.

Sitting on the bed with the bag in her paws, Judy reached in and pulled out her purchase from the toy store: a stuffed red fox. She discarded the bag and hugged the stuffed fox, giving it a few nuzzles and kisses. Had Judy seen this before the war, she would have ignored it. A small giggle escaped her mouth at the memory of the shop owner raising eyebrows after seeing Judy’s eagerness, but brushed it off with the sale. When making the purchase, the owner had told Judy that not many had been produced which only made it all the more priceless to her.

Judy softened her hug to retrieve the black bear from the pile. Setting the two plushies down, she removed the red neckerchief from the bear and tied it onto the fox. Judy took a moment to look at the two stuffed animals sitting before her. In her mind they both represented complete opposites of her emotions: happiness and sadness. Satisfied, the doe placed the plushies in the pile and tucked herself in bed.

While staring at the ceiling from trying to fall asleep, Judy reached over and picked up the fox plush. As she held it over her, the doe wondered if the fox would scare away her nightmares. She quietly let out a giggle at the thought. But Judy couldn’t deny that she felt a little of that hole in her heart filled with it in her possession. The bunny hoped that Nick would never find it or she would never hear the end of it from him. She needed to stay strong not just for family but also him. Judy smiled and held the plush close to her as the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day finally overcame her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also like to extend my gratitude to Selaxes for allowing me to use his OC Bailey whom you should also check his stories over on Archive of Our Own. I was very curious in imagining Bailey during the 1916 games and couldn't resist writing those scenes.
> 
> Jim Throepe is based on the real life Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe. Him being stripped of his gold medals because of amateur rules in place at the time did happen. Unfortunately, Jim passed long before the Committee restored his medals. Interestingly, I wanted to make him a predator initially but I thought a prey would be better to show that the Committee isn't biased against a particular group of mammals.
> 
> I wasn't certain of the procedures for soldiers picking up their pay. It's especially difficult to find information in the WWI era so creative liberties were taken for that scene.
> 
> For Gideon's reaction to Judy's tip, 20 dollars in 1915 is the equivalent of over 470 dollars today. Remember that Bogo gave Judy a little Christmas bonus with her pay.
> 
> That's all for now! See you next chapter!


	3. Old and New Faces (Wilde)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! This took way too long to write. The outline was ready. It was just a matter of writing the words down.
> 
> Much thanks to Cimar WildeHopps for agreeing and taking the time to edit this!

March 25, 1915,

The sun shined through the window and onto a lump form in the bed. Nick groaned when the light reached his face, pulling the blanket over his head to shut out the cursed thing and try to get more sleep. But being an officer and needing to meet with his superiors made the attempt futile. With a long huff, Nick finally removed the blanket and slowly sat up, his legs hanging off the edge.

He stood up and stretched, cracking his muscles in the arms and legs, then walked to the nearby chest to retrieve a brush, which he discovered on his second day. Brushing his fur out was something he had to do as a fox in the army, as his species was already thought as scruffy and unkempt. Finishing making himself more presentable, he lazily donned his uniform in front of the mirror. After a few adjustments to appear professional, he gathered his personal belongings and left his private quarters.

It has been two months since Nick and his unit arrived at the camp and in that time, they all adjusted themselves well to the change. They were grateful for having to no longer live in the horrid conditions of the trenches and being so close to the prey whom they’ve befriended. Yet their minds kept wondering how those prey are faring after their transfer. No doubt they would be punished if their superiors discovered the truce.

The entire unit agreed on the train ride to keep the truce a secret until the war was over. Whether the higher command would do the same, to their knowledge, was beyond their control. They hoped they would, but their doubts frequently drifted to being publicly shamed or branded traitors for fraternizing with the enemy. Also on the train ride, the predators wrote down the memories to preserve a true account of the event.

Since arriving at the camp, Nick had been gathering all information on the Tri-burrows offensive and developing plans so that Bunnyburrow could escape the worst of the forthcoming carnage, hopefully entirely. Unfortunately, the plans hinged on whether Bullgaria would remain neutral or join a side in the war. Until then, Nick could only speculate and cover every possible angle.

While walking, Nick noticed a number of soldiers preparing for an arrival, an observation he’d bring up later after the morning meeting. A couple of them noticed the fox and stopped to salute or stand at attention, the rest following along. Nick nodded, acknowledging their respect and continued walking while the soldiers resumed their tasks. He and his unit had integrated well with the predators at the camp. The usual initiation was unleashed on Nick’s unit and would have fallen on the fox himself had his own not warned the pranksters about his antics. Unfortunately, some learned that lesson the hard way.

The Lieutenant arrived at the headquarters and went to meet with the Major jackal and the Captain pine marten in the war room. There, he entered and saw Tobias and Aranka already waiting for him.

Aranka was the first to respond, “Morning, Lieutenant. Good of you to join us.” She smiled and pointed to the coffee pot and cup. “Need one? You look like you could use it.”

“No need to ask me twice,” Nick smiled and poured himself one.

Tobias chuckled at his behavior. “Still having trouble getting up in the morning I see?”

Nick took a moment to sniff the cup filled with black liquid. “Being nocturnal is the one thing I believe that I will never evolve out of, Major.” He then took a big gulp of the coffee.

“Well I’m sure that’s been helpful on more than one occasion out on the Western Front, Lieutenant,” the jackal said.

“Between wolves howling at the full moon, the trench conditions, and enemy fire, being nocturnal was the least of my problems.”

“Lucky for you,” Aranka said. “You only have to deal with the first one here.”

“I am curious to hear how you stop that,” Nick said, setting down the empty cup. “But that’s a conversation for another time. How are things around the world?”

Tobias’ cheerfulness was instantly replaced with seriousness and a small hint of dejection. “Great Bruin responded to our naval declaration with a total blockade on us.”

Nick sighed heavily. “Why am I not surprised? Did we ever expect them to respond differently? How badly will this affect our supply shipments?”

“We can survive as long as we maintain trade with Zootopia,” Aranka said. “But at the current rate our u-boats sink enemy and neutral ships, we doubt that will last long.”

Nick nodded. “I see. Any news with our allies and the rest of the Empire?”

Aranka continued on. “A week ago on the 18th, the enemy navy attacked the Ottomammals at Gallipolecat. Despite heavy fire and loss of communication, they managed to repel the attack.”

“And on the Eastern Front last month,” Tobias said. “We managed to gain a foothold in Ursussia. There hasn't been much action on the Western Front since we halted an advance by Bruin and Furance almost two weeks ago on the 13th.”

“What about Pawstria-Hungaury?” Nick asked.

“As far as we know, they’re still fighting off Ursussia’s assault on one of their fortress. We hope they can hold it down. They haven’t done much to help us in the war so far.”

“And Italynx?”

“Still neutral. If only they weren’t so bitter with Pawstria-Hungaury over their borders.”

“It seems like a stalemate then,” Nick said. “Anything on us?”

“We have more troops coming in later today to support our offensive, and Bullgaria still hasn’t made a decision on the offers yet.” Aranka said.

“That explains the work I saw this morning.”

“Their leader will be meeting us for a formal introduction just like when you first arrived. Command thought you could use some assistance in the offensive since Aranka and I are already paired up.”

“I’ll be sure to thank the mammal when he or she arrives.” _This might be a good thing. Less area to be responsible for. I only hope the predator isn't biased against foxes._

“Her," the pine marten clarified. "You should go meet those under her command when we finish here. It might distract you for a little bit. We’ll be doing the same. They should be in the mess hall when we're finished.”

“I may do that when I eat. Thanks for the update.”

The three predators then heard the door open behind them. They turned around to see a female wildcat entering. She had the species’ normal black stripes around her face and the brown fur was much darker than the usual shade. While her uniform was the standard Germammal, her posture and poise made it, and her, stand out all the more in the room as she walked purposefully towards the three awaiting mammals.

“Are you three in charge of the base?” the wildcat asked.

Nick nodded his head to Tobias and Aranka. “Those two are. I’m a transfer here just like you.”

The wildcat then stood attention and saluted. “First Lieutenant Ingrid Leitz.”

The others three returned the gesture.

“First Lieutenant Nicholas Wilde.”

“Major Tobias Koller.”

“Captain Aranka Varga.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Ingrid said. “I look forward to working with you all. Pardon me for saying this, but I didn’t expect smaller mammals to be in charge here.”

“No offense taken,” Tobias said. “Since we’re attacking the Tri-burrows, a place populated by mostly small prey, Command thinks it's better to have similar-sized mammals leading the fight.”

“I don’t blame their logic,” Nick said. “Their sheer numbers can easily overpower the bears and make it a living nightmare to capture them all. So where are you transferring from?”

“The Eastern Front,” Ingrid answered. “Command feels that with the recent success there, they could afford to divert more troops to other areas. Not sure why here, since the Western Front needs more attention.”

“Consider this location a rest,” Aranka said. “We can’t move forward with any plan until Bullgaria’s decision. But things will change if they, or Italynx, joins our side.”

“I heard, and I consider the wait a good thing. It will give my troops and I time to get accustomed to the terrain and your tactics.”

“Just don’t get too complacent,” Nick said. “We could get the call any day now, and we’ll have to mobilize fast. The concern then would be if your troops are ready.”

“I'll order a small training session for introductions. Then my troops will have the remainder of the day to rest after the train ride here.”

“We did the same for Wilde here, so rest assured,” Tobias said. “We’re just warning you that anything can happen.”

“Alright," Aranka said. "Now that the introductions are finished, we’ll fill you in on the current plans. Just remember that they are not set in stone.”

The four predators moved onto updating each other on the Tri-burrows offensive to include the new troops coming in. The current plan called for each of them to invade with their units. Nick lobbied hard to be assigned the Bunnyburrow boundary. His reasons included his experience with fighting rabbits on the Western Front, albeit avoiding mentioning the details of such knowledge, so he understood their behavior during combat. The other officers had no objections and trusted his judgment, having heard of his successes.

After the revisions were finished, the officers adjourned the meeting and went their separate ways with Nick going to the mess hall. Just as the Major and Captain said, Ingrid’s unit was already there. Nick picked up his food and held a brief conversation with the badger cook, the two having become well acquainted and sharing tidbits of their lives throughout their time at the camp. The badger even offering Nick extras, but the fox declined unless he was the last one to be served.

Nick turned around to see the transfers mingling with the resident soldiers. He considered getting to know them right away, but his current mood left him desiring to be alone for the time being. He would not object if invited, or if others wanted to sit with him, but the upcoming offensive still had him worried. Nick exchanged goodbyes with the badger and began searching for empty seats or tables with fewer mammals.

During his search, Nick’s eyes fell on a small predator sitting alone. He wanted to pass over, but something about the mammal felt familiar. The distance and loud chatter prevented him from getting an accurate read, so he moved closer. At the table, Nick saw that the small predator was a fennec fox. The feeling gnawed at him and he had to confirm his suspicions. He moved around to where the fennec could see him approaching.

Nick set his drink and mess tin on the table and sat down in front of the fennec. This got the small mammal’s attention and the smaller fox looked up with the intention to kindly tell Nick to leave when the recognition came to both predators.

“Finnick!” Nick said before his friend could get a word out.

Finnick closed his mouth and frowned. “Wilde…”

The two foxes continued to stare at each other. Nick keeping his smirk on and Finnick with his frown. Eventually, the frown gave away to a grin and Finnick bellowed out in laughter. Nick followed suit and it continued for a couple moments before the laughter finally died down.

“I missed you, Wilde!” Finnick said. “I was not expecting to see you here.”

“Neither did I. How are you my friend?”

“I’ve been doing well. Things have been dull ever since you went off to fight. What about you? Feel like your pops yet?”

“Oh I feel great! The sounds of gunfire and artillery booming in my ears. The smell of gunpowder in the air. And the sight of dead bodies everywhere!”

“Alright alright, I get it. No need to mock me. Did the military steal your sense of humor?”

“Nah, they’re still fighting but are learning to live with each other. Though I have to know, why did you join the army? You even tried to get me to come home while I was on leave from training.”

Finnick finished another spoonful and took a sip of his drink. “Honestly, I was feeling bored with everyday life and after reading your letters, I decided that a little fighting would bring some excitement. It wasn’t that difficult enlisting in the predator’s army with the Empire’s call to arms.”

Nick’s smirk faltered slightly. He knew of the empire’s methods of recruiting soldiers and had heard Finnick’s second reason from many predators entering the army. The end result was them either being shaken or worse. So far in this conflict, he had seen the toughest of predators become meek when the bullets fired. His father’s warning slightly prepared him for his first time but for those who didn’t have that...

Nick needed to warn his friend about the realities of fighting in a war before it destroyed him, physically and emotionally. “I won’t lie about the adrenaline that comes from combat, but I must warn you that it’s all more about survival than excitement. And these survival instincts are nothing compared to what we had to do before the war or in training camp.”

Finnick’s expression became serious. “I’m no fool, Wilde. And I apologize if this is too personal, but I learned after what happened to your father. But with how all the countries are making out about this war, you can’t blame me for getting caught up in the enthusiasm.”

Nick sighed heavily and nodded. “I understand.” A thought then came to him and it was the perfect thing to change the topic and lighten the mood. “Say. You’re a private right? So that means I outrank you.”

Finnick narrowed his eyes and had to restrain himself from pointing his fork at his friend, “Don’t get any ideas, Wilde. I may be a private but I can still bite your face off.”

“And risk punishment for attacking a high ranking officer?” Nick shook his head. “For shame.”

“Good thing I’m not under your command.”

He saw the mischievous grin on his face, “Don’t get your hopes up. That could change in the coming months.”

“You’ll have to go through my leader first.” While Finnick was grateful for the change in topics, an important thought came to him and he needed to tell Nick about it.

“Your mother tried to stop me from going off when I told her the news. I didn’t realize I was that important to her, like you and your father.”

The subject of his mother peaked Nick’s interest. “How is she? Things have been busy here since my last letter to her.”

“She’s doing well. We spent Christmas together after you couldn’t come home.”

Nick’s ears flattened, the tod’s mood quickly dissolving from the reminder. He had sent a letter to her apologizing for having to miss Christmas along with updating on the war situation. “I’m sorry about that. I honestly tried to come home, but Command refused to grant my request.”

“Don’t apologize. She understands. It was good for me since I had nobody else to spend Christmas with. We both had a wonderful time together.”

Hearing his friend's action made Nick smile. “Thank you for being there for her, Finnick.”

Finnick smiled in return, “Anything for a friend. But she and I both want to know something...why haven’t you told us how your Christmas went? Your last letter only mentioned that no fighting occurred in your area. You must have done something with your troops since they couldn't go home either.”

Finnick saw Nick go silent, the reluctance on his face palpable. Being around him for years, he knew the cues of when things got too personal for the red fox. The fennec also knew that Nick would speak when he was ready. Finnick just hoped it wouldn’t be too late with an ongoing war.

The fennec sighed heavily. “Alright, I'll stop asking about it. I do have something from your mother though. In case we ever saw each other.” Nick saw him reach into his uniform, pulling out a folded envelope. The fennec pawed over the item. “She gave it to me before my departure.”

Nick took the folded envelope and spent a moment looking at it before putting it away in his uniform. “Thank you. I’ll read it before I go to sleep.”

“Just don’t take too long writing back.

“I won’t.”

“And Nick?”

Nick saw the serious expression on Finnick’s face.

“I don’t know what happened over Christmas, and I could care less. But no matter how you personally feel, your mother deserves to know.” This time he did point his fork at him. “She already had one heartbreak. Don’t force her to go through another.”

It was enough to make Nick become nervous. He gulped before responding. “I promise.”

“Good.” Finnick had to hide his smile and the feeling of being able to intimidate a high-ranking mammal.

With that, the two friends spent the rest of their meal talking about their experiences; Finnick with his training and transfer to the camp, and Nick with his actions since the beginning of the year. The meal concluded and the two foxes parted for their respective duties and responsibilities, promising to meet later at the end of the day.

* * *

  
In the middle of the day, Nick visited a room in the officer’s headquarters for a short rest. There, he opened the door and saw a piano sitting by itself with nobody else inside. Grateful for the solitude, Nick locked the door to prevent anyone from walking in and made his way over to the bench and sat down. Nick took out an alarm clock from his coat and wound it up before setting it on the piano. He took a moment to prepare his fingers before playing a tune.

When he first discovered the room and asked his leaders about it, they told him the location was to entertain guests. Before today's transfer, the base did not have many visitors except for the higher ranking predators who only came to inspect the soldiers and give out awards. It was one of the few times the atmosphere was different at the base.

During an off day some weeks before, Nick visited the room when his desire to play the piano continued to beckon him until his breaking point. He waged a small debate in his mind before acting on his desires. Just before striking a key, the fox realized that he hadn’t known what to play. An idea had suddenly came to him which brought a smile on his face. Having only heard the piece a few times, Nick had to play by ear and after taking a moment to remember the tune, he began playing one note a time until the tune matched the sound in his head.

He then began humming the music while stroking the keys. This had continued on after making progress on the main chord, though deciding to quit for the day and work on the melody later. Since then, Nick visited the room when he could to not only continue learning the music, but also distract himself from the war and his responsibilities. In his subsequent visits, the fox brought an alarm clock with him to avoid losing track of time and having his leaders send someone for him.

The sound of a bell ringing brought him back to reality, halting his playing. Nick sighed as he reached for the clock to stop the alarm. Feeling satisfied with his progress once more, Nick fixed his appearance before leaving the room in better spirits.

* * *

  
Later that afternoon, Nick found Finnick participating in a firing and formation practice with other small predators. He saw Ingrid supervising the training and strolled up alongside the wildcat, eyes scanning the assembled troops.

“In my opinion, they appear to be performing well,” Nick began as the predators completed another formation. “How long were they in training?”

“Three months,” Ingrid responded. “I got a mixture of firearms experts and mostly beginners here.”

“I feel for you. My troops were in the same situation back in August. If they survive, they’ll get better.”

“I hope so." The wildcat focused back on her troops. "Alright that’s enough for now! Clean up and you have the rest of the day!”

“Yes ma’am!” they acknowledged.

“I’m going to go help them out,” Ingrid said. “Care to join me?”

“I’d be happy to,” Nick replied.

The two lieutenants assisted the soldiers in putting away the dummy enemies and rifles. With the task completed, Ingrid and her unit parted ways with Finnick joining up with Nick.

“Nice shooting there,” Nick complimented.

“I have to if I want to survive against larger enemies.”

“Yeah, it’s fun to watch a rhino or elephant charge at you while soaking up bullets like a rag.”

“Ouch, I bet they hate being the ones out in front.”

“They’re usually the ones there, unfortunately.”

“I bet the bears and large cats feel the same.”

“Believe me. The feelings are mutual. Anyways, I’m heading over to see my troops. Care to join me?”

“Sure, I got nothing else to do.”

Nick and Finnick headed to the barracks where Nick’s unit was staying. Upon entering, they saw soldiers lounging around or lying on their beds, a few having a smoke, pervading the air heavily with its smell.

Clawhauser was the first to see Nick and immediately stood. “Attention!”

The other predators noticed and did the same.

“As you were,” Nick said.

They relaxed and resumed their business.

Clawhauser then noticed Finnick with Nick as the two foxes approached him and a couple other predators. “Who’s your little friend, Lieutenant?”

“His name’s Finnick and I would be careful calling him little.”

Delgato huffed amusingly while approaching the fennec, “And what’s he going to do?”

Finnick stomped his foot and shouted for emphasis, “You try anything and I’ll bite your face off! And you’d better hope your Lieutenant stops me before I get myself court-martialed!”

The deep voice startled the predators and especially caused Delgato to halt and flinch.

Nick chuckled at the response. “You all should know better than to underestimate small mammals,” subtly referencing himself though the image of a grey furred beauty came to mind.

Delgato slowly retreated back. “Point taken.”

“So, Finnick,” Snarlov said. “Are you a friend of the Lieutenant?”

“Since he was a kit,” he answered.

“Tell us then,” Clawhauser asked curiously. “What was he like?”

“As someone who is higher rank and could report your actions,” Nick interjected. “I order you not to divulge any information about me without my permission.”

All Finnick could do was shrug apologetically, “Sorry everyone.”

“Blast it Wilde!” Wolfard cried. “Ruin the fun why don’t you?”

“Get promoted to my rank, or higher first, and then we’ll talk.”

Finnick directed his attention to Fangmeyer, “Can I get a light?”

Fangmeyer raised an eyebrow as she glanced between her cigarette and the fennec. “Uh, these are a little big for you.”

Finnick rolled his eyes and revealed his own container of smokes.

“Oh, sure!” She brought out her lighter and flicked it on. Fangmeyer then lowered the fire to Finnick's height.

Finnick took out a cigarette and walked up to Fangmeyer, carefully lighting the cigarette to not burn himself or his cigarette in the process.

“Thanks.” He inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled in relief. “I needed that. My first day here and I'm already burning through one. Going to have to restock before we go into actual combat if I run out.”

“I like you already,” Grizzoli said. “Wilde here doesn’t smoke. Don’t know how he can cope with the stress of being an officer.”

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “Not my style and I have other ways of relieving stress.”

“Which he won’t tell you,” Finnick said.

“You know me so well.” Nick smiled.

* * *

  
As the evening wound down, soldiers headed to the showers after a dusty day of drills and practice. A new delivery of water had restocked their supplies as a result of the transfer. While Nick cleaned himself, his mind drifted to the Dazoobe River. The Captain and Major had mentioned the location being an option to wash when the facilities ran dry. Since his arrival, Nick has yet to use the river; memories of muddy rainwater in the trenches souring the option for him. Yet he didn’t dismiss the idea of visiting the location entirely.

The fox had heard stories from his friends and other predators that the river wasn’t particularly a bad place to wash up. With nothing else happening for the remainder of the day, Nick made the decision to visit before going to sleep. After bathing, he returned to his private quarters to prepare for the trip. Nick made sure to inform Tobias and Aranka and leave a note on his door before leaving. With the preparations finished, Nick set off for the river.

He found the trail that led the way and followed it. Just in case, Nick brought the map of their entire location and surroundings. He hoped to arrive before sunset to get a good view and that no one else would be there washing. Nick reminded himself to approach cautiously to avoid interrupting anyone there. He didn’t know how long he had been walking until the river finally came into view, with evidence of previous mammals along the shore confirming the location.

Nick looked at the map, and then with a look of longing on his face to the land across from him. According to the map, across the river was the Tri-burrows, specifically DeereBrooke County. And further away over the rolling green hills was Bunnyburrow. Nick lowered the arm holding the map and continued to stare ahead. A battle waged inside between his mind and emotions. Nick was thankful that no one else was around to witness his display.

The moment was a perfect example of the saying, ‘so close yet so far’. The only things preventing Nick from crossing the river was him being unfamiliar with the territory and the certainty of increasing the damages from the invasion. Nick calmly sat down to recover from the physical and mental exhaustion. He removed his cap and stretched his legs out as the stress melted away. Nothing but the sounds of the river and insects were heard as dusk approached.

Letting his imagination run wild, Nick imagined Judy on the other side of the river, sitting down and staring back at him. Despite knowing it wasn’t real, the image brought a smile to his face and he found himself waving at the imaginary bunny, seeing her doing the same. His heart ached slightly when Judy disappeared, wishing for the illusion to last a few moments more.

This led Nick to wonder how Judy was doing. He had tried to imitate her enthusiasm in an effort to be more positive. But the years spent hardening and burying the pain and suffering of his youth were making it difficult for him. Yet he had to admit that when successful, it helped remind him that it was okay to release his emotions and he still has a remnant of innocence. Nick realized that Judy had become like his mother, whose memories and hopeful future kept him going.

* * *

  
Back in his private quarters, Nick was dressed for bed and sitting down at the table. He lit the oil lamp and retrieved his coat. The fox pulled out the folded envelope, deciding now was a good time to read his mother’s letter and wondered what she had written to him. Were they words of encouragement, or of concern? Nick broke the seal and pulled the paper out. With near trembling paws, he opened the letter and began reading.

_Dear Nicholas,_

_By now, you should know that you friend Finnick has joined the army and met up with you. He had already completed his training when he told me of his decision. No matter how much I try to convince him otherwise, he is stubborn like you and your father. Yet I feel that it will be good for him to see you again after so long. We visited your father to tell him the news, and I was reminded of our own trip when_ war _had been declared. It was there that I realized how close Finnick was to our family. I should have known better after how much he comforted us after your father died._

 _The war has not affected my life so far, and Zootopia has been doing very well staying neutral. But that hasn’t stopped mammals from leaving for their homelands to join the army. The war has also been slowly dividing the predators and prey, but thankfully, the citizens have remained at peace. I understand that you will have less time to write back the longer the fighting goes on. But I still wish to hear from you more. I continue to worry_ for _you every single day as a mother should. But no matter what happens to me at home or to you on the frontlines. Know that I will always love you, and I hope to hear from you again soon._

_Love,_

_Mother_

The letter slowly slipped from Nick’s grasp until it fell onto the table. Teardrops fell, staining the parchment. Nick tried to resist but his mother’s words were too much and the tears began to flow. He was happy for his mother’s well being, yet sad and shameful for neglecting her. Finnick’s reminder surfaced and stung him hard. Nick wanted to tell his mother of his Christmas, but how could he? Letters were inspected by the military post office before being sent.

Nick finally calmed down and took out the picture of his family standing in front of the old tailor shop. He placed it on the letter and stared. He became worried for his mother when she mentioned Zootopia being divided. Knowing his species’ reputation, Nick knew that foxes would be targeted first if violence broke out. He quickly pushed those thoughts away and focused on the positives, however little there were. His mother was safe and that’s what was important.

Nick finally set the picture and the letter aside and retrieved a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and eraser. Glancing at the photo one more time, he began writing.

_Dear Mother,_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Battle references
> 
> March 18, 1915: Allied naval attack on Dardanelles
> 
> February 7-22, 1915: Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes
> 
> September 9, 1914 - March 22, 1915: Siege of Przemyśl
> 
> That's all for now! Next chapter is already planned out and with Spring Break coming up for me, I should be able to knock it out. Or it could be like Christmas where I barely wrote a page...


	4. Trials (Savage)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long but finally, a chapter is being posted for one of my stories. My profile will have the full explanation as this affects all my stories.
> 
> Thank you to J Shute Norway for agreeing to edit this chapter!
> 
> Important! For those who don't know, I did a complete 180 of Jack's character since his introduction. Reason being is that I could not find a way to make it work so I wrote him as more light-hearted.

January 1915,

Second Lieutenant Jack Savage and General Bogo remained silent as they watch Judy leave the office, letting the emotions from the recent conversation soothe before resuming their meeting. Jack hoped that he could catch up to Judy afterwards. Meanwhile, Bogo started to take deep breaths, trying hard to suppress the truth in the doe’s words. It was the General who finally broke the silence.

“I must commend your efforts to cheer up Miss Hopps, Lieutenant,” Bogo saw the curious look on Jack's face when the rabbit turned his attention back to him. “Anyone else would have questioned your ability to fight in this war with that sympathy for predators.”

Jack nodded, understanding the General’s words. “I’m only looking out for her, Sir. That and I spent time studying predator culture before the war.”

The latter sparked a small curiosity in Bogo. The curiosity grew until the Cape Buffalo began to consider it something to look into. “Hmm, I wish I had known that before making your assignment. Still, I don’t believe it will make much difference.”

“Sir?”

Bogo placed a folder before Jack. “You are currently assigned to an outpost near the Zooez Canal. Our main concern is that if the predators capture the waterway, we will be cut off from our colonies in the East and be forced to travel around the continent to supply our forces.  That alternative will take too much time. But I want to discuss your history with predators. I’m considering transferring you to the Bruish Intelligence in Cairoryx. Your job will be to draw the maps and relay information to the frontlines. If you choose that option, it will take time to produce the necessary documents, so you’ll still visit the outpost. I'll give you a few minutes to think on this.”

Jack slowly leaned back in the seat and began to consider the options. Having already completed training, he felt that it would be a waste to not apply those skills and training on the frontlines. Yet, Intelligence has always played a vital role in wars. The rabbit suddenly remembered Bogo mentioning that it will take time to produce the necessary papers.

Jack then made his decision and straightened himself up. “I’ll join Intelligence, and I can carry out the original assignment while you prepare the papers. If the predators attack, I already have the skills and training to lead the troops.”

Bogo nodded, “Just remember to obey the commanding officers there. If you make any mistakes, it will look bad on both of us, and there is very little I can do to protect you.”

Jack had no objections and took the folder. “When will I be leaving?”

“At the end of the week so you can time to pack your belongings and say goodbye to your family. A train will take you to a ship that will sail for Cairoryx. From there, the convoy will take you to the outpost. I will have escorts waiting for you, but they will waste no time hurrying you. Dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Jack Jumped from his seat and promptly left to prepare for the trip. He stopped momentarily when a group of prey was exiting a room and blocked his path. Upon exiting the building, Jack suddenly picked up the sounds of someone crying. He became worried that the mammal could get into trouble if discovered.

Following the sounds, the buck was startled at the sight of a weeping Judy sitting on the ground. To see the drastic change from when he last saw her tugged at his heart. Feeling burdened and wanting to know why, Jack slowly approached the doe until he stood in front of her.

“Judy?” He said quietly and friendly.

It took a few seconds, but Judy managed to stop crying and look up. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the tears stained the fur from where they fell. “O-oh, I didn’t hear you coming. How long were you standing there?” She sniffled and wiped her nose with her arm.

“I just came outside when I heard you,” Jack smiled, trying to cheer her up with a little humor. “It’s a good thing no one else found you. Who knows what would have happened?!”

The doe let out a small giggle which was good enough for him. “It is. I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”

“Was it something that happened during your meeting with Bogo?”

Judy closed her eyes and sighed heavily, “If only you knew.”

Jack didn’t press any further, not wanting to worsen her mood and knowing it wasn’t his business. “Do you need a hug?” He didn't care if the action was appropriate or not.

Judy sniffled again. “Yes please.”

Smiling, Jack sat down next to Judy and wrapped his arms around her. The doe smiled and slowly returned the hug. The gesture brought a smile to Jack's face, happy to see her calming down. The two remained embraced for a few moments more before reluctantly separating. The moment they did, their ears picked up the sounds of cars approaching.

“That must be for me,” the two rabbits said simultaneously.

Surprised, Judy and Jack looked at each other with a blank expression before slowly breaking out into laughter. Jack helped Judy to her feet and was about to offer the doe his neckerchief to clean her face when she pulled out a red one of her own. The doe wiped her tears and nose before tying the neckerchief around her neck and hiding it in her uniform. Judy then recovered her cap and placed it back on her head.

Before parting ways, Jack offered his paw to her. “Good luck. I hope we meet again.”

Judy accepted his paw. “Me too. I wish you a successful career.”

The bunnies shook on it and walked to their escorts together. They waved each other one last goodbye before separating and entering their respective cars.

* * *

 

February 1, 1915, Cairoryx

The sun bore down on Jack while he watched the coast slowly appeared over the horizon. Once the city was in full view, the rabbit felt as if he was returning to his second home, already seeing the many changes since his last trip. Taking one last sight, Jack returned to his room to gather his bags before going below deck and assist with unloading the ship's cargo.

After loading the last crate, Jack hopped into a jeep that had a Kudu in the driver seat and an Oryx standing behind the machine gun. All three felt the ship come to a halt at the docks, and they waited for clearance to be given. None of the mammals spoke as time passed. Finally, the ramp finally lowered, and the vehicles unloaded from the ship and rode to their destination.

During the drive, Jack was focusing on the scenery when he heard the Kudu trying to talk to him.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant.”

Jack turned his head towards him. “Yes?”

“Pardon me, but this is an unusual place for your species to be. It would make more sense if you were a desert rabbit.”

Jack let out a chuckle, sharing his thoughts. “I was wondering the same thing when I got the assignment.”

“Join the club,” the Oryx said. “But this environment is normal for us two.”

Jack gave a look at the two mammals and quickly understood their meaning. “I can tell. Are you new recruits or transfers?”

“The name’s Bucky Antlerson, and that’s Pronk Oryx. We’re transferring from the Western Front where are our original unit disbanded. Most of us were sent home while the rest got reassigned according to our species and natural environments.”

Jack nodded sympathetically, feeling for their situation. “That’s a shame. Speaking of the Western Front, I heard some interesting tales coming from there and the Eastern Front.”

“Believe me, Lieutenant,” Pronk said. “The Western Front is not a pleasant place, and that’s putting it lightly.”

“I guess you appreciate the change of scenery then,” the bunny guessed.

“We’ll see,” Bucky said. “What about you? What’s your story?”

“The name’s Jack Savage and I just completed my officer’s training. I’m to be transferred to Intelligence later. But while my superior is working on that, I’m here to help defend the outpost we're going to. The reason for the transfer is because I had spent some time here before joining the army.”

“Intelligence?” Pronk said. “Lucky you. Get to stay out of this heat.”

“Quit complaining!” Bucky shouted. “You did that in the mud and rain.”

“Oh shut up!”

“No, you shut up!

“No, you!”

“You!”

Jack turned his attention back to the scenery, trying to block out the argument. The thought of working in Intelligence couldn’t come any sooner.

* * *

 

Upon arriving at the outpost, the troops were directed where to unload the supplies while Jack left in search for headquarters to report their arrival. The rabbit would explore the outpost later, but that didn't stop him from taking sight of different features along the path. He came upon a tent that was being guarded by a wildebeest and a bighorn sheep. The two soldiers saw the rabbit officer approaching and quickly stood at attention as Jack stopped before them.

“Is this headquarters?” The buck asked. “Your commanding officer is expecting me.”

“This is the location," the wildebeest said.

“And he is inside. Go right in,” the sheep answered.

“Thank you.”

Jack walked in and saw a black rhino colonel. He carefully approached the large mammal, putting enough distance between himself and the rhino to avoid being stepped on.

“Excuse me, sir?” Jack said.

The black rhino turned around and looked for the mammal asking for him.

“Down here.”

The Colonel looked down to see Jack standing at attention. Unfamiliar with the rabbit, the rhino immediately got down to business. “Who are you and why have you come here?”

“Second Lieutenant Jack Savage. General Bogo assigned me to this region.”

The rhino continued to stare down and loom over the small mammal, searching his memories of previous conversations he had with the Cape Buffalo. His mind drifted to a correspondence he received from Bogo a few days ago. As the details emerged, he suddenly remembered the name Jack Savage being mentioned, and the rhino made the connection from there. “Ah yes,” he said, his voice relaxing. “I received his letter informing me of your arrival. Colonel Hornson. At ease.”

Jack relaxed his stance. “General Bogo informed me that the predators plan to attack and capture the canal.”

“Indeed. It is good to see my request for reinforcements granted. We already had two surprise attacks only days ago. Thankfully, they appear to be their flanks, but that means the bulk of their forces should be arriving any day now.”

“Then we should have the necessary mammalpower to halt their advances. Right?” Jack enquired.

Hornson narrowed his eyes at Jack and became serious. “Do not underestimate these predators. They traveled for days across the desert to get here. If they can accomplish that, then they will have all the motivation to capture the canal.”

“Right sir. What are my orders?”

Jack’s eagerness caused Hornson to chuckle, but he tried to hide the concerns over the buck’s ambitiousness. “Be patient. Everything will be ready once I send word for you. For now, take some time to get accustomed here. Dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir.”

After their meeting, Jack did what Hornson requested and began exploring the outpost. The main thing he noticed was the majority of the building being tents. The buildings with some form of walls were used to house supplies and transport. It didn't take him long to remember the important locations such as the mess hall and the bunkers. Jack came to a rest at his own tent after completing his survey. The tent contained a cot, a table, and a single chest. Nodding with satisfaction, Jack trudged over to the cot and let himself collapse on his belly. He exhaling a sigh of relief and smiled as the location began reminding him of his expedition to the region years ago.

* * *

 

The afternoon of February 2,

Jack began to grow impatient from the lack of news, both of his assignment and his troops. But he understood that the recent attacks had forced the Colonel to reorganize the soldiers for counterattacks and defenses. Still, he hoped to have enough time to contribute to defending the canal.

After familiarizing himself with the outpost, Jack took the time to research on the previous attacks in hopes of gaining an advantage. There, he learned that the predators attacked in the middle of the night but quickly lost the element of surprise and failed to break through the prey's defenses. The attacks led the prey to believe that the predators are planning more attacks all along the canal. Jack wrote down the information on paper and stored it for later in his uniform.

While strolling along, a private kangaroo rat came running up and shouting at the buck. “Lieutenant!”

Jack stopped walking and turned to the rodent, “Yes?”

“The Colonel requests for you.”

The bunny's ears perked up behind his cap, but he fought to suppress the oncoming excitement. “Thank you.”

Jack hurried over to the headquarters and found the Colonel inside waiting for him, already suspecting why Hornson requested him.

“You’re here. Good.” The rhino said. “I assume you know why I called you?”

“The predators are preparing an attack at a location on the canal.” He stated.

“Correct. You will be assigned to a town and be tasked to reinforce and defend the area. You will also be working alongside the Captain currently there. Your troops have been organized, and I deeply apologize for the delay.”

“I understand the circumstances, sir. Where will I be meeting them?”

“Near the outpost exit. They’ve already been informed of your arrival. Dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Jack wasted no time, gathering his weapons and the necessary gear from his private quarters. But before preparing to fight the predators, he needed to prepare to encounter any dissenting voices among his troops. Neither of which he feels will proceed smoothly.

While walking to the exit, Jack saw that most of the soldiers had gone off to fight, except for a few mammals who were either non-combatants or guards, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

The rabbit finally arrived at the outskirts, where a group of soldiers and a couple of jeeps were waiting for him. Jack stopped for a moment to fix his appearance before approaching the mammals.

“Attention!”

The soldiers instantly turned their attention to the direction of Jack's voice and stood straight. From their line of sight, Jack could see them expecting a much larger mammal and wouldn’t move unless ordered so. He took a deep breath, ready for their objections or ridicule.

“Down here!”

Those in the front looked down to see Jack standing before them. He immediately saw a few showing their disdain at having a small mammal as their commanding officer. Jack quickly continued before they could protest and began pacing so that others could see him.

“I realize that I am not who you were expecting to be, but I will remind that Colonel Hornson assigned me to you. If you have any objections, I will not stop you from going to the Colonel. In fact, I will even escort you myself.”

Jack returned to his original spot and glared at the troops. “But you will need to explain why you’re wasting his time questioning his judgment while the predators are trying to capture an important asset. Does anyone want to go?” The buck waited for any response, but he could see on their faces that none of them wanted to face the Colonel.

“No, sir,”

“Excellent. After we’ve defended the canal, you can complain and cry to your heart’s contents. Or better yet, put your frustration and anger to good use by unleashing it on the predators. But most importantly, I will not tolerate soldiers who put their self-interests first.” Jack resumed pacing. “To recap, the predators are attempting to capture the canal. The town we have been assigned to is in dire need of reinforcements after repelling another assault. It is vital that we arrive before the predators return.” While scanning the soldiers, Jack saw a familiar Kudu and Oryx and pointed at them. “Both of you will ride with me. The rest of you will follow behind.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the prey entered a jeep, Jack, Bucky, and Pronk sat in the same seat during their introduction. The rabbit Lieutenant checked behind to see that everyone else was ready and then signaled Bucky to start the jeep.

Jack let out a deep sigh, leaning back in his seat as the convoy drove to their destination.

“Great job asserting your authority back there,” Bucky said.

Jack smiled at the Kudu, “Thank you. After my experience during training, I understood that I must remind any soldiers under my command of what's important. Speaking of which,” His expression became curious. “You two strangely have no issues with having a rabbit in charge.”

“That’s because we had one before,” Pronk said. “We were tougher on her at first, but she quickly earned our respect and trust.”

“Wait, did you say she?” Jack asked, starting to feel suspicious about the mammal in question.

“Yes, we had a female rabbit lieutenant,” Bucky answered. “Do you know her?”

“Is her name Judy?”

Part of him hoped that was the case.

“That’s her!” Pronk exclaimed. “How you do you know her? Does that mean you two are related?”

Jack chuckled and shook his head. “No, I met Judy while getting my assignment. She and I were meeting the same general.” He decided not to bring up their encounter outside the building and quickly changed topics, deeming it too personal to share. “One thing. Since you are under my command, I won't hesitate to give out harsh punishments for your disruptive arguments. The last thing everyone here needs is you two being distracting and getting yourselves and others killed.”

“Give us a little more credit, sir!” Pronk exclaimed. “We wouldn’t be alive if we weren’t disciplined enough to stop arguing with each other.”

“He’s right!” Bucky concurred. “If we can remain focused on the Western Front, then we can do the same here.”

“Calm down,” Jack said. “I only wanted to give a reminder, but seeing the evidence before me, you have my confidence.”

The conversations then delved into topics about themselves and their military history. During the ride, Jack heard a few grumblings about him from behind, but he let them speak their minds, only intervening if their actions endangered their lives. Whether their opinions of him would change was of no concern to Jack.

* * *

 

Jack finally saw smoke appearing over the horizon and signaled for the jeeps to slow down. Moments later, the town came in full view: defenses spread along the bank of the canal and various buildings destroyed by explosions. The convoy was amazed to see the town still under their control. They stopped at the entrance where a brown horse in a captain's uniform and two soldiers approached Jack's vehicle.

“Finally, you’re here!” The horse said. “Captain Oates. Who is in charge here?”

Jack stood up in his seat and saluted. “I am. Second Lieutenant Jack Savage.”

He, Bucky, and Pronk saw Oates’ demeanor instantly change as the Captain leaned closer and narrowed his eyes at the buck, scrutinizing him, “This has to be a joke.”

Jack inwardly winced from the remark but remained professional. “No, sir. Colonel Hornson formed this unit here and placed me in charge. You can confirm with him if you wish. If I may continue, the predators are preparing another attack at this location that could lead to them capturing the town and us suffering high casualties. Yet you want to question why you will be working with a rabbit instead of preparing to stop them?”

Oates shot a glare at the rabbit as anger radiated from his body, but the Lieutenant did not flinch. The soldiers escorting Oates felt grateful from not being under his wrath, but Bucky and Pronk were not so fortunate. It took all their strength not to flinch and cower.

“Privates,” He said in a low voice. “Watch them while I make a phone call.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Captain took his leave.

Jack calmly sat back down but kept his eyes on Oates’ soldiers. Bucky and Pronk suddenly decided that town was a much more interesting sight, and the two privates also found the rest of the convoy suddenly more interesting. All five remained silent, having no desire to act without repercussions. The rest of the chatter came from the jeeps behind where most barely heard the conversation. Finally, the horse captain returned with a disgruntled face.

“Follow me, Lieutenant. Your soldiers will be directed elsewhere.”

Jack said nothing and hopped from the jeep to follow the Captain to headquarters. He used the silence as an opportunity to take in the conditions of the town. Alongside the destroyed buildings, craters marked the ground from explosions. Some more noticeable than others. Soldiers who spotted the two officers became curious but said nothing, only standing at attention when they pass by near them.

Jack and Oates finally arrived at a building adorned with the Bruish Empire flag. It was notable for being unscathed from the predators’ attacks. Inside, Oates led Jack to the war room where maps and other documents laid on the table. The bunny saw a field telephone that he knew the Captain used to call Hornson earlier.

Oates moved around the table to where he and Jack faced each other. “Let’s get down to business.”

The Lieutenant quickly noticed how the horse left it to him to see the maps. Jack held his tongue as he padded forward and jumped onto the table.

“Yes. Let us,” the buck said.

Oates placed a hoof on a map of the town and directed it to two spots. “We successfully repelled two predator attacks so far. Those savages thought they could catch us off guard by only moving at the night, but our scouts discovered them setting camp near the canal. Despite losing the element of surprise, the predators pressed forward with their attacks.”

“How bad was the situation before our arrival?”

The horse moved his hoof opposite of their location on the map. “The predators here had fought from across the canal, compared to other locations where they actually made an attempt to cross. I fear that the previous attacks were meant to weaken our defenses and their next attempt will be to cross the canal. Also, in the previous attacks, the predators came in small numbers which leads me to believe that they will come at us in full force this time around.”

“I believe the predators are crossing at night because they have the advantage of night vision and some are nocturnal. The maneuver would certainly create chaos for us. What have you done to halt their advances?”

“It's on the map. My current plan has been successful, so I see no reason for an alternative.”

Jack looked down at the details laid out. He noted the different points of interests on the map as his mind processed the information.

“With all due respect Captain," He said, looking back up at Oates. "If the predators intended to weaken your defenses, then they will know our weaknesses. We must switch tactics because using the same one puts us at a significant disadvantage.”

Oates flared his nostrils, feeling irritated that the buck was questioning his successes. He decided to hear Jack's plan; if only to satisfy his curiosity and reject it. “And what do you propose?”

Jack placed his finger on their bank of the canal. “Since we know they will cross and a few will undoubtedly make it, I propose digging a trench here where the smaller half of our forces can surprise the surviving predators.” Jack then moved his fingers to the edges of the town. “I am expecting them to focus on the town, so I propose we move our forces to the outskirts where they can avoid the brunt of the attack.”

The Captain flared his nostrils loudly. “You must be mad if you think I will leave this location defenseless!”

“I am not saying we do that! Obviously, some must remain behind to protect and operate the equipment. But I believe this is our best chance for success. Please consider this.”

After Jack finished his explanation, the two officers silently stared at each other. The Lieutenant could see the stern expression on Oates’ face, not knowing his reaction, but he expected the worse.

The tension finally broke when Oates closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “Very well,” he reluctantly agreed. “My forces will be on one side of the town and yours on the other. I will gather my smaller mammals and send them to you.”

Jack felt an overwhelming relief for the opportunity but kept his professional appearance. “Thank you, Captain.”

“But," the horse added, his stern look returning. "Your plan better work or losing this position will be the least of your worries. Dismissed.”

Jack saluted and hurried to find his troops, aware that he had only hours before nightfall. It didn't take him long to locate them loitering around near the jeeps, the latter assuming they needed to wait until he returned with new orders.

“Listen up everyone!”

Hearing the Lieutenant’s voice, the prey stopped their idling and gathered around Jack to listen.

“Follow me, please. I will explain the plan and show your positions for tonight's attack.”

Jack led his troops to the bank and got ready to speak when another group of soldiers appeared. A donkey from the group stepped forward to the Lieutenant and saluted.

“Captain Oates said that you needed smaller prey of our size and placed us under your command. What would you have us do?”

Happy that communications between him and Oates were slowly improving, Jack began by dividing the soldiers into one large and one small group. First, he explained to the small group about the trench and their role in surprise predators. Next, the rabbit informed the large group of their positions at the outskirts for protection. The soldiers understood their orders with no objections, and they got to work on the trench and the outskirt positions. The length of the trench spanned the town, and the width nearly covered the bank. The soldiers hid trench by building a dune from the sand dug up. Later, Jack's group moved all their weapons and equipment to their assigned position on the outskirts.

Jack himself took up a position on a roof to provide support and give the signal to fire. To that end, the Lieutenant set up a machine gun nest and managed to acquire a rabbit-sized sniper rifle from among the casualties. He established a field telephone in the room to communicate with Oates during the fight.

Meanwhile, Oates assigned his troops to important positions in the town and directed the rest to the outskirts. The horse decided to remain inside headquarters to update the Colonel on their status throughout the night as done in the previou stwo attacks.

Once they completed the tasks, Jack reported to Oates who then asked the rabbit to accompany him while he inspected the locations. The Lieutenant hoped that the Captain would approve of the measures. Standing at the top of the bank, Jack remained silent as Oates gazed upon the trench. The nervous rabbit didn't dare look up at the horse for fear of embarrassment.

"Better than I expected," Oates said.

Jack's ears stiffened from the positive response, "Thank you, sir."

"Now to see if can withstand the predators."

The horse took his leave, and it wasn't until his footsteps were out of range that Jack felt any relief.

After the inspections, Oates granted the soldiers rest, and they gladly took full advantage of it. Meanwhile, he and Jack continued to work, developing alternative plans and reporting their status to Hornson. The hours went by and their soldiers noticed how weary their commanding officers were becoming. Knowing they will do more harm than good in the fight, the soldiers made an intervention. At their behest and with some persuasion by Jack to Oates, the officers finally took a break from their duties to eat and sleep, the latter happening in shifts.

* * *

 

When night arrived, everyone moved into positions and waited for the predators to appear. Since the prey did not know when they would attack, Jack and Oates decided to rotate the troops who were on watch, simultaneously keep them alert and allowing for more rest. They also brought supplies to sustain them during the night.

Hours started to go by with no activity from the predators as February the 2nd turned to February the 3rd. The cold temperatures of the desert kept some soldiers awake, but others had trouble staying alert. The supply runs and rotations were helping to prevent the prey from being caught off guard.

After another supply run, Jack sat down to rest, bringing out his canteen to take a drink of water. He turned his head to see Bucky and Pronk near him, the two appearing sleepy and bored.

“How are you holding up?” The Lieutenant asked, trying to keep them alert and awake.

Bucky covered his mouth as he let out a yawn. “Honestly, this feels similar to the Western Front. The only differences are the living conditions.”

That brought a previous topic they discussed on the way to the outpost. “You mentioned the mud and rain earlier. Is the weather really that terrible?”

“You could only imagine, Lieutenant,” Pronk said. “Unless you get transferred there.”

Jack shrugged his shoulders. “You never know, and if I do, I’ll know who come to for advice.”

“I got to ask,” Bucky said. “You said you've been here before. What were you doing then?”

“A research trip when I was in school years ago. I got to study predator language and culture and also had the opportunity to visit an excavation site. Very illuminating.”

“Then why are you fighting against them?” Pronk asked.

Jack sighed heavily, slumping against the sandbags. “It's hard to say. Maybe it's my sense of duty to fight for the empire. Maybe I'm thrilled to return here even if it is to fight instead of conducting research. I honestly can't pinpoint a single reason. Do you understand?”

Before either of them could answer, the rabbit’s ears suddenly stiffened, along with those of all the other lagomorphs.

Bucky and Pronk noticed the sudden change of behavior and became worried when Jack stood up and gazed at the other side of the canal.

“What is it, Lieutenant?” Bucky asked.

“What do you hear?” Pronk asked.

Jack turned his attention back to the troops with a dreaded look. “They’re coming…”

The words sent fear through every soldier present, and they all wasted no time mobilizing, knowing every second counted.

An out-of-breath Jack barged into headquarters to alert Oates, only to find that the Captain had fallen asleep.

“Captain!”

The horse jolted from his slumber at the rude awakening, and his angry eyes fell on the rabbit standing in the doorway.

Jack didn’t give him a chance to reprimand him. “They’re here!”

The reprimand died in Oates’ mouth and with lighting speed that stunned Jack, the horse put on his coat and rushed outside, pass the Lieutenant. The shock wore off in time for Jack to see Oates running ahead and him scrambling to catch up. The two officers conducted one last check on all the positions, finding everyone and everything in place before they took up their own positions.

In the machine gun nest after shuffling through his equipment and ammo, Jack stood behind the shield with the flare gun in his paw. He closed his eyes and began concentrating his hearing in the direction of the predators.

Being a moonless night, the prey could not see the enemy until they came extremely close, putting the former at a great disadvantage.

Finally, the other prey could hear the predators movements and aimed their weapons, waiting for Jack to light their vision. Those in the trench remained still and silent, but the tension and anxiety from not being able to see the predators coursed through them.

Jack’s eyes shot open, and he let out a sharp gasp when he began picking up the predators’ voices. With one paw on the machine gun, he aimed the flare gun at the other side of the canal and fired.

The light illuminated the night sky, revealing a terrifying sight and stunning the prey. Predators were boarding pontoons and rafts and attempting to cross the water. More infantry was stationed along the dunes and in trenches, ready to fire. The predators too were stunned into silence at losing the element of surprise once again.

The panic started to set in before becoming overwhelmed, leading a soldier to fire a shot, followed by another and another before the entire area devolved into chaos as both sides unleashed a barrage of bullets at each other.

Jack straightened the bullet belt and fired at the dunes, trusting the troops to shoot at the predators trying to cross. He fired in bursts to protect his hearing from the machine gun’s loud noises and reduce the chances of it overheating and jamming the bullet belt inside.

Even after the flare went out, the prey knew the predators’ location and continued their attack. And even if their surprise attack failed, the predators persevered and managed to launch the watercrafts in the chaos. But some quickly abandoned their attempts halfway across the canal and jumped in the water to swim to safety. Others managed to reach their objective, only to be ambushed by the prey hiding in the trench, leading to a firefight breaking out between those groups of soldiers.

On the trench incline, many predators threw their weapons down and fell to the ground in surrender, but the remainder chose to fight back, getting either wounded or killed in the process. The prey also suffered casualties from the onslaught and now got involved in the overall fight. A portion of the prey kept their weapons trained on the surrendered predators while the rest joined the main fight. Meanwhile, the wounded predators lay in the sand in pain and agony, praying they will survive.

Jack finally heard the gun click and a feeling a dread overcame him when seeing the box empty. Cursing at the ill-timing, the rabbit ran to grab more ammo when halfway across the room; he suddenly felt himself slam against the wall. Jack fell to the floor in a daze, but that disorientation was quickly replaced with a sharp, intense pain to his head. The rabbit clutched his ears in a vice grip and shrieked in pain and agony. Jack tried to push through it, but all he could feel was the pain in his head and hear the howling of the wind.

After what seemed an eternity, the pain slowly subsided and his hearing started to return. Jack slowly opened his eyes and was shocked to see the entire machine gun placement destroyed. This led him to one horrifying conclusion. The predators had mortars or artillery, both able to destroy his forces and the town if not eliminated. Judging from the size of the damages, he assumed the former.

Still in shellshock, Jack saw the field radio nearby and desperately crawled to it. He hoisted himself up against the radio and wasted no time grabbing the pawset to call Oates.

"Captain! We got enemy mortars firing on us!" The rabbit shouted.

"I realize that! I'm mobilizing our mortar teams right now, but you must mark the locations for them."

"But Captain!"

"No questions, Lieutenant! Lives are at stake here!"

"Yes, sir."

Jack knew the predators had the advantage of night vision, but Oates was correct. He saw the sniper rifle lying before him and reached for it. Finding them undamaged, the rabbit reached into his uniform to check the flare gun and thanked the deities for his luck. More explosions went off and the cries of the unfortunate soldiers caught in the blast reached his ears, pushing him to hurry.

The rabbit limped forward to the hole in the building, collapsing to his knees upon arrival. With no time to search for his binoculars, Jack needed to use the sniper scope to search for the mortar teams.

After checking the ammo, he peered through the lenses and was greeted flashes of white in a dark background. The rabbit jerked back as panic started to set in at the task becoming increasingly difficult. But Jack took a deep breath to calm himself down and remembered what to specifically look for. He peered through the scope again and focused away from the fighting, searching for any movement or flashes. Jack’s hopes were raised when he caught sight of a few silhouettes huddled together and trained the scope on them. His suspicions were confirmed when a flash suddenly appeared among them, followed by an explosion on the prey's side.

Still looking through the scope, Jack fired the flare gun again. While dismayed that it did not land on the mortar team itself, he felt relieved that the light still revealed their positions. Moments later, Jack saw everything around the flare, including the mortar nest, bombarded with shells. He celebrated only for a moment before continuing the search for other mortar nests.

Despite losing the machine gun, the rabbit still contributed with the sniper rifle, keeping in mind that his task will soon lead the predators to focus on his position. His small size granted him the advantage of being able to easily hide and be hard to see from their vantage point. Jack focused on the predators on the bank because of his rifle's limited range, but he knew that only a headshot was necessary.

As the fighting dragged on, the prey began seeing the predators cease trying to cross the canal, drastically boosting their morale. The predators continued to fight in spite of failing to achieve their goal, but they slowly started to feel overwhelmed. The prey also sensed this, and did not slow down their attacks even if the tide began turning in their favor.

Slowly, the predators began to realize the outcome from the lack of progress until, finally, their leaders gave the order to retreat. Jack saw this through the scope and scrambled to the field telephone to inform Oates of the good news.

"Captain! They're retreating!"

Hearing his excitement, the horse came out rushing just in time to barely see the predators falling back. He could also hear their cries of panic in the chaos.  
  
"Cease fire! But don't lay down your weapons!"

The soldiers obeyed, and they all remained alert should the tactic be a diversion. The anxious prey waited and watched the surviving predators disappear over the horizon before the battlefield became silent. As the minutes passed, the predators had not yet appeared, but the prey continued to wait.

Jack managed to recover his binoculars in the brief lull and use it to search for any sign of them, ready to signal everyone else. After what seemed an eternity, Oates knew they had won.  
  
"Stand down mammals. We've earned our victory tonight!"

The prey promptly began to celebrate, shouting speciesist remarks across the canal.

"Run home you savages!"

"Crawl back to your caves!"

"Don't let the desert kill you!"

Jack let out a huge sigh of relief and collapsed on the floor, rejoicing in the victory. But the moment was short-lived as he needed to report to Oates, else he would be assumed dead. The rabbit rushed out of the building and found Oates nearby, congratulating the soldiers.

“Captain!" He cried, running to the horse and stopping in front of him. "We did it.”

“Yes, Lieutenant," The horse smiled. "We did.”

Oates let them celebrate for briefly before giving commands for the recovery. He ordered Jack to assist the troops while he reported their status to Hornson, which the rabbit agreed.

As the horse left for headquarters, Bucky and Pronk, who survived the attack, approached Jack to congratulate him.

“Great work, Lieutenant!” Bucky said.

“Your plan worked!” Pronk concurred.

Jack smiled at the praise. “Thank you. Now as much as I want to celebrate, we have much work to do.”

The Lieutenant first divided up the mammals for the tasks ahead of them. One group apprehended the surviving predators on their side of the canal as prisoners. Another group counted the number of casualties and carefully treated the bodies. In total, 30 prey soldiers died with another 60 wounded. The last group performed the cleanup and assessment of the town.

Dawn arrived, and the recovery process was ongoing. Jack sat on a crate in the destroyed room, taking a break. The rabbit felt exhausted from assessing the damages and carrying the fallen, but the successful defense stifled his complaints. As the sun slowly rose, he heard two mammals enter the room and approach him. Their voices gave the identities away.

“There you are, Lieutenant!” Bucky exclaimed. “What are you doing up here?”

Jack said nothing, still facing ahead. Curious, Bucky and Pronk followed his gaze and found their answer when the sun finally appeared over the horizon.

The morning light revealed the carnage from the assault on full display. The predators killed after successfully crossing the canal lay in the sand. Bodies littered the water as the blood stained the canal red. Along the bank defenses, surviving pontoons and rafts were beached against the sand while those destroyed had partially sunk. On the other side lay bodies of predators killed during the assault and retreat. The smell of gunpowder and corpses wreaked the air, causing Jack's nose to twitch.

“Quite a view, isn’t it?” Pronk finally said.

Jack opened his canteen and drank some water before returning his gaze to the canal. “Yes, it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historical reference: Raid on the Suez Canal. I also made a nod to Saving Private Ryan. 
> 
> With Jack in the picture, you can hint who the next chapter will be about. Call it an intermission from Nick and Judy. 
> 
> Just like in Spirit of Christmas, there may be around 4 chapters for them as an introduction.
> 
> See you all next chapter!


End file.
